Star Fox: Ghosts of Cerinia
by FoxMcCloud7921
Summary: Years ago, Krystal witnessed the destruction of her home planet. Six months after the Aparoid Invasion, the Star Fox team is informed that the planet, which had been destroyed, has very much returned. But as the team sets out to investigate, they find out much more has changed on the planet than they could've possibly guessed, as well as the return of one from Krystal's past.
1. Back from the Dead

(A/N: So here I am, back again from the reaches of space and-nah just kidding. I apologize for once again being inactive due to some particular reason. I've decided to work on a new Star Fox title and I will see it through. Don't worry though, I'm still planning on working on the other story so it's certainly not dead. This particular story will be a part of a series, and I say series because I do not have an actual number yet but you get the idea. Anyway, enough about me, let's start this!)

* * *

**Star Fox  
**Ghosts of Cerinia

Chapter 1: Back from the Dead

_Cerinian Palace, Cerinia; Four years ago…_

_The sound of birds chirping outside the window of her room woke Krystal slightly. Half-asleep, she pulled the covers over to blot out the sound as well as the sunlight peeking in. However, her sleep was cut short as she suddenly heard the loud boom of an explosion in the distance and the quaking of the earth that followed it._

_She quickly got to her feet and ran outside to the deck as the sounds of panic filled the air. From her view, she saw the smoke in the distance and the citizens in town fleeing for their lives. _"What's happening?" _she thought. _

_Soon the door to her room opened and her father came rushing in. "Krystal, we must go!"_

"_Father, what is happening!?" Krystal asked._

"_Tacitus has doomed us," her father replied. "Come, we must get you to safety!"_

"_W-What do you mean?" Krystal asked as the two of them made their way out of the palace._

"_He was working for that scientist that came here, and their experimentation has caused a planetary chain reaction," her father explained. They finally reached the outside landing port where a ship was already prepped for launch._

"_The ship's ready for launch your highness," one of the guards stated._

"_Good," Krystal's father said, nodding. "Get inside Krystal."_

"_Wait, where is mother?" Krystal asked, looking around._

_Her father was silent for a moment. "…She won't make it in time my dear. In fact, none of us will. It is too late for us, but not for you. You still have the chance to live your life."_

"_Wha-no father, I will not leave you and everyone else behind!" Krystal shouted, clenching her fists as the tears came to her eyes._

"_Krystal…" Her father went up to her and hugged her. "I am not doing this just because you are my daughter, but also because you shouldn't be the victim of the mistakes we made, I made." He then took out an object that was wrapped in cloth. "Here, this was meant to be given to you for your birthday but I'm afraid it can't wait."_

_Krystal took the object and unwrapped the cloth. The object was small but it quickly responded to her touch and extended to almost three times its size. "A staff…"_

"_It will be the one token you have that will always remind you that Cerinia will always be in your heart," her father said, smiling. "Now, hurry Krystal. There isn't much time."_

_Krystal didn't want to go. She wanted to apologize for this situation, but how could she? She only nodded and got into the cockpit of the ship. Luckily she learned at a young age how to pilot a ship and it didn't take long to start the launch sequence. She took one last look at her father, who only smiled back as the ship suddenly took off into space._

_The next sequence of events would stay in her mind forever. Once she was out of Cerinia's orbit, she took one last look at her home. The blue planet's image was as breath-taking as always, but the image quickly changed as the planet soon erupted in flame and just like, it was gone. The sudden blast caused her ship to rock and she had to stabilize quickly before she lost control. Luckily, the effect did not last and she quickly maintained herself._

_The pain and shock was still there, but she had to deal with it later. For now, she searched for the closest planet in her vicinity and hoped she could take refuge…  
_

* * *

_Great Fox II, Orbiting outside of Corneria; Present Day: Six Months after the Aparoid Invasion_

Krystal woke up with a start, looking around and realizing she was in her room, her real room. The dream, it happened again. It started earlier in the week where her dreams suddenly shifted towards her former home's demise. What was even stranger was that the dreams, while slightly different, were consecutive each night.

She rubbed her eyes, shaking the sleep out of them as she got out of her bed and went out of her room towards the kitchen area, still in her bedding garments. Looking at the time, she saw it was a quarter to six. Most of the crew didn't wake up til six-thirty at the earliest so it didn't matter now if she went back to bed. She made some coffee and sat at one of the stools along the island.

Normally having constant dreams about anything isn't out of the ordinary. But being a Cerinian, that was different. Having dreams about Cerinia gave her a bad feeling in her stomach. _"Of course, I could just be longing for home… my old home." _Her new home was here, with the Star Fox team. Her thoughts then turned to Fox and her cheeks suddenly started feeling warm. During the Aparoid invasion there were hints that Fox had feelings for her, real feelings. After that, he shut that away, or so he thought. Occasionally she probed his thoughts and her name came up time to time, making her smile and giggle. Of course, he was still the same Fox she had gotten to know.

She heard footsteps coming down the hall and she saw that it was Fox. He seemed a bit surprised to see her. "You're up early," he said, making the obvious statement.

Krystal smiled. "I hope I didn't wake you."

"Not at all," Fox said as he himself got a cup of coffee. "I was already awake by the time you got up. Sometimes you just can't get back to sleep."

"I know the feeling," Krystal said, her smile soon fading.

Fox looked at her concerned. "Another dream?" he asked.

Krystal nodded. "This time it was when Cerinia was destroyed. Everything happened so fast that day I could barely remember it."

Fox looked unsure what to say next. "You know, you mentioned about your home before but I don't think I ever really asked what it was like there."

"Well, I do remember telling you that I was a member of the royal family there. And of course, the person named Andross who was responsible." Fox nodded in acknowledgement. "But what I didn't mention was the planet itself. It was very similar to Corneria, but we were more spread out. The climate was mostly tropical but it was a lot colder in the north and the poles." She paused and took a sip of coffee. "I… my father was in the dream I had and I just remembered something that he told me before I left. That he didn't want me to be involved that he made… He sounded like it was his entire fault."

"He couldn't have known what would happen," Fox said, putting his hand on hers.

"I know," Krystal replied. "I just wish I knew what exactly happened… but perhaps it's better not to know."

Once again Fox was at a lost what to say. _"Some leader I am…" _he thought. "I'm sorry this keeps happening Krystal."

"I'm almost convinced that it's a sign, but I'm not sure." She paused as Fox's wrist communicator went off.

"Incoming message from General Pepper, Priority One," ROB's voice suddenly cut through the quietness.

"Sounds important," Fox said. "Thanks ROB." He cut off the transmission and looked at Krystal. "Guess something is going on."

* * *

"Sorry to wake you at an early time Fox but it was quite urgent." General Pepper's image was on the main screen of the main deck where both Fox and Krystal were standing.

"Not a problem sir," Fox said. "What can we do for you?"

Pepper took a slight glance at Krystal and he suddenly seemed a bit uncomfortable. "One of our ships was patrolling just outside the Lylat System and we got a message from them about twenty minutes ago. However, we soon lost contact with them but they were able to send us a recording of what they saw before losing contact."

Pepper's image disappeared and a recording took its place. It wasn't very long but what they saw made Krystal gasp. "It… it can't be!"

The image they saw was the planet of Cerinia.

* * *

(A/N: Well, there you have it folks! I got inspiration from Emile The Watcher's story Dead Planet to do this story and I hope it really takes off. I don't want to spoil anything but I think you have an idea what's going to happen. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and more will come soon!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	2. Home Sweet Home

(A/N: I had just realized after doing the first chapter some people are probably confused about Great Fox II. As I've said in my other Star Fox fic I do not necessarily consider Command canon so the Great Fox II isn't the ship you see in that game but more like the original from Assault.)

* * *

Chapter 2: Home Sweet Home

The sudden image of Cerinia staring at her almost made Krystal take a step back. It was impossible… it just had to be! "I don't believe it…"

Fox, noticing her shock, quickly said, "General, are you sure this is Cerinia?"

"We've run every scan that we had and its size, mass, and layout is every bit identical to what we know on our database," Pepper said. He then looked at Krystal. "I apologize if this is a shock to you Krystal."

Krystal shook her head. "No need to apologize General, I'm just… surprised."

"As are we," the old hound stated. "We have no idea what to expect from this, considering we are not sure at the moment what has happened to the _CFS Hornet_. That is why we need your help Fox."

"If it really is Cerinia, then it's certainly worth a look," Fox said, looking at Krystal who nodded. "We'll get the rest of the team briefed right away."

* * *

"Hmm…" Peppy said, looking troubled as he and the rest of the team were in the briefing room. "I remember years ago they were mentioning what happened on Cerinia. Of course, with it being outside of the Lylat System it wasn't mentioned as much as it should have been."

"So, we have a planet that was completely wiped out all of a sudden reappear again," Falco said. He then glanced at Krystal and coughed awkwardly. "Um… sorry."

"If the planet is back, then is it possible the Cerinians may have survived as well?" Slippy asked.

"It's possible but we won't know for sure until we get there," Fox replied. "ROB, how long until we reach the coordinates the General gave us?"

"Estimated Time of Arrival will be in three hours and thirty-one minutes," ROB's metallic voice replied.

"Alright, then we'll need to prepare and be ready by then, in case of whatever may be thrown at us," Fox said. "Dismissed." The group quickly separated, including Krystal who went down the hallway towards her room.

Only Peppy remained, which was what Fox wanted. "Peppy, what do you really think of all this?"

"To be honest, I really don't like it," Peppy replied. "From what Krystal told us, the planet was completely destroyed, and to have it return unscathed years later must be traumatic for her."

"I know what you mean," Fox said, remembering years ago on Sauria when he once again encountered Andross. "Still, we'll see if the planet is unscathed after all. But what about that Cornerian ship?"

"It's possible something on the planet was jamming their communications," Peppy said, stroking his chin. "Of course, they could very well have been attacked as well. Right now Fox, I think the best thing you should do is comfort Krystal, because I know this can't be easy for her."

Fox nodded. "Yeah… you're right about that."

"After all, we all know how much you care about her," Peppy said with a smile.

"Well yeah- hey wait a minute!" Fox said. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Peppy chuckled. "Just go talk to her, Fox." Fox scowled as he headed down the hallway but his mood quickly changed as he saw that Krystal was instead standing right outside her door, leaning against the wall.

"Hey, how you holding up?" Fox asked.

Krystal was silent for a moment but then glanced at Fox. "All those years ago, and even now in my dreams the image is still in my mind. I know what I saw that day, Fox. Cerinia was destroyed."

"No one doubts you Krystal," Fox said, putting a hand on her shoulder before leaning against the wall as well. "To be honest, what we've been through, I'm not really surprised something like this would happen."

Krystal turned towards him. "What do you mean?"

"When I rescued you on Sauria, when Andross returned, I didn't believe it myself," Fox explained. "I knew I killed him on Venom and yet somehow, he returned and did what he did. So, I guess you could say I know what you're dealing with."

"I'm not getting my hopes but… if, what if someone survived?" Krystal asked.

"Then the Cerinians would not be doomed after all," Fox said, smiling. "Listen Krystal, I only ask this because I care but… are you up for this?"

Krystal smirked slightly but Fox could see the fire in her eyes. "Always."

* * *

After the next three hours, the Star Fox crew was geared up and on the main screen on the main deck they could the outline of the blue planet. Beautiful as it looked, the planet gave off a slight ominous presence, one that Krystal did not like nor expect.

"With the coordinates the general gave us, we should've seen the _Hornet _by now," Slippy said, looking at the Great Fox's scanners. "No debris either."

"Crash-landing?" Fox asked.

"Maybe, but-hold on I'm picking up something on the other side of the planet," Slippy said. His face suddenly fell. "Oh, this is not good…"

"What's up frog-boy?" Falco asked.

"Looks like we're not the only ones interested in Cerinia after all," Slippy said, bringing up what he saw on the main screen. There were three blips on screen but magnified they could now see that they were Venomian battle cruisers, and old models at that.

"Okay, didn't we can these creeps at Fortuna?" Falco asked.

"Could be that these are mercenaries or pilots," Peppy explained. "Since these are older models, they may not have picked us up." Fox could only rub his temple in annoyance in response.

"So, do we go in for a surprise attack?" Krystal asked.

"I'm down with that," Falco added.

"If we do, they may call in reinforcements and it may be too much for the Great Fox," Fox replied.

"Not to mention we won't be able to get any help from Corneria since they're in no shape for space skirmishes," Peppy said.

"ROB, keep us on course and have us orbit on the opposite side of where the Venom ships are," Fox commanded.

"Affirmative."

"So what is the plan then?" Falco asked.

Fox sat in his chair, deep in thought. The arrival of this group certainly changed any plans he had before, so he knew he had no other choice. "Krystal and I will go planet-side and check things out. Falco and Slippy, you two are going to keep an eye and help take care of those cruisers if they pick up on us."

"Meh, I prefer the air anyway, but you'll have to send me pictures nevertheless," Falco said casually.

"Actually, with the Great Fox's new and improved cloaking device, those old ships shouldn't be able to ping us, even if we shot a laser across their nose," Slippy said.

"Just remember until we find out what's jamming communications you won't be able to hear from us," Peppy reminded Fox.

"…Are you sure Fox?" Krystal asked.

"Of course, you know Cerinia better than anyone," Fox replied.

"I'll get two Arwings prepped for launch and just in case, I'd travel prepared for anything," Peppy said.

Fox and Krystal both nodded and headed towards the armory located in the hangar. "So what are the chances that these pirates are armed to the teeth?" Krystal asked.

"Pretty great," Fox said as he picked out a scoped assault rifle and checked the magazine. "A couple years after defeating Andross the first time, we stumbled on a huge weapons exchange between some of the biggest underground organizations on Corneria. We dealt a critical blow against them but the issue with pirates is still great, so I can't say where they're getting all these supplies other than the black market." He looked down and checked his holster with his blaster pistol that he's kept for almost a year. The newer models the Cornerian Army had had improved sighting and recoil effect, but for some reason they were more likely to jam, reason unknown. As far as Fox knew, his blaster has never let him down.

Krystal meanwhile picked out a sniper rifle. She started practicing with it shortly before the Aparoid Invasion and in that small amount of time she's become quite the marksman, which was a clue to Fox to never get on her back side. She also carried a blaster of the same model and decided to take her staff along as well, just in case.

Fox had noticed Krystal hadn't cracked one single joke since coming down to the hangar. No "A mission on our own at last" or anything. "Krystal, don't worry, we'll find out what happens and if we find any Cerinians down there, well, so much the better right?"

Krystal finally managed a giggle. "It's fine Fox, I appreciate your concern but I'm prepared for the worst. I've never thought I'd be going home again but… I certainly would like to show you it."

"Sounds like a plan," Fox said as they got their equipment loaded onto their Arwings. After that they got inside and did the preliminary flight check as the hangar doors opened. "All systems green," Fox broadcasted. "Once we get down there, our primary mission is to find the missing ship, everything else secondary. If the pirates decide to be a nuisance, then we'll have no choice but to engage."

"Roger that," Krystal said as she started up her engines. Looking out her cockpit window she could see Cerinia in the distance. _"Father, if you could only see me now…" _

"Launch all ships!" Peppy's voice boomed through the speakers and soon the rails that magnetically held the two ships shot forward, disengaging at the last second as the two Arwings departed from the Great Fox and made their way planet-side.

Upon re-entry, Fox could see the blue sky, blue waters, and the luscious green of forestry below him. _"It's even more beautiful than Corneria," _he thought. Beyond the large forest he could see the small outline of a structure, almost like a temple. "I don't see any hostiles," he transmitted to Krystal.

"And I don't sense any either," Krystal said. "There, just in front of the forest, that'll be a good spot to land." Fox nodded and followed her in, extending the landing gear and landed with a slight bump.

"If you don't mind Krystal, I think I'll let you take lead from here on in," Fox said as he popped open his hatch.

Krystal opened her hatch and jumped down. "You're sure?"

Fox nodded. "Like I said before, you know this place better than I do." He paused for a moment. "When we were coming in, I saw what looked like a temple, beyond the forest."

Krystal nodded. "Yes, I saw it. It was a temple, it had been abandoned way before I was born, but it's a good place to start." After equipping her sniper rifle, she pointed ahead. "The forest ahead will lead us there, but we'll have to proceed with caution."

Fox checked the safety on his rifle before nodding. "Any wildlife concerns I should know about?"

Krystal paused for a moment. "No… well yes usually but… I don't hear anything. Hmm…"

"Let's just head to that temple and see if we find any clues," Fox said, taking her mind off what she was thinking.

"Got it Fox, I'll lead the way," Krystal said, as the two vulpines headed into the forest.

* * *

(A/N: See, I told you I was serious about this. I have some good news, that being that I have off this week which gives me an opportunity to work on some things. I may do one or more chapters of this story before returning to my other fic, but you'll find out when eventually. Also, I know you haven't seen much action yet but I promise you'll see plenty in the next chapter. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed the chapter and hopefully you'll hear from me again soon!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	3. Out of the Shadows

Chapter 3: Out of the Shadows

Fox and Krystal quickly made their way into the forest, which turned out to be thicker than they expected. "Still not picking up anything," Krystal said. "I think we're clear."

"So, anything else you know about this temple?" Fox asked as they kept up a fast pace.

"It was used hundreds of years ago by the first Cerinians who lived on the planet," Krystal explained. She paused for a moment and continued. "At least, that's what my father used to tell me as a child. The old prophets, as they were referred to, were said to have worshipped a higher being, one that protected the planet from destruction. Of course as the years passed and as they died off, less and less of us believed in that tale. In fact, my family and I were among the few who still did."

"A guardian, huh?" Fox asked.

"I wanted to believe such a thing, but after what happened, now I'm not so sure," Krystal said. "There, the temple is just ahead. If I'm right, it should lead us into… where I used to live."

The temple before them certainly looked hundreds of years old, but the fact that it was still standing in one piece and almost perfect condition was impressive by itself. "It almost seems too perfect," Fox remarked.

"Cerinian architecture always was made to last generations," Krystal said. "Until we understand what's going on, I won't believe it completely."

Fox took a look at the doors in front them. Judging by the size, you couldn't just stroll in. "Guess we're doing this the old-fashioned way," Fox said as he slid his rifle around him and the two of them pushed against the door, which slowly but surely opened with a loud groan. As expected, it was pitch black inside. Fox switched on the flashlight on his weapon, giving him a dim view of what was inside.

There was a straight-away hallway that they slowly made their way down. Fox then noticed something on the walls. "There are pictures on the wall, hand-made by the looks of them."

Krystal peered at them closely. "Yes, these almost look similar to the pictures I used to see in the old texts." She stopped and took a closer look. The pictures outlined what appeared to be the Cerinian culture, as well as their architecture. It was the last one they saw that got Krystal's attention. "This picture… I don't remember seeing. This must be the deity that protected the planet. But, Fox, look at it… doesn't it remind you of…?"

"A Krazoa Spirit?" Fox asked.

"Yes, but I thought they were only on Sauria?" Krystal asked.

"It could mean there's a connection between the two planets, which I doubt," Fox replied. "However, it is possible that the Krazoa Spirits were perhaps a civilization of their own, years ago."

"Oh, if only we'd stayed on Sauria a bit longer before," Krystal said with a bit of a whine.

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using is "Legacy" from Halo 4.)

* * *

"Let's keep going, and we'll worry about that later," Fox said as they continued on. *The hallway soon led to a large room, which oddly was lit by torches, although recently or not they couldn't tell. However, this was as far as they could go. "A dead end?" Fox asked.

"Hmm…" Krystal was in thought. Then it came to her. "Of course! The technology we had on the planet revolved around the power that it resonated as well as us Cerinians."

"Meaning…?" Fox asked.

"Meaning if I can find something out of place I can get us out of here," Krystal said. She went to the wall and searched with her hands for any kind of switch or lever. However, she didn't have to do much; the second she touched the wall it reacted immediately. The signs and pictures around the room glowed with a light blue hue, causing the room to light up.

The wall in front of them flashed so brightly they had to cover their eyes, and they heard and felt the rumble of the wall splitting and opening slowly. There was even more light, but it was coming from outside as the doors parted and both Fox and Krystal saw what was before them.

Blue sky, with trees and flowers along with mountainous hillsides, it was a great sight to behold. "Welcome to Cerinia," Krystal said. Suddenly, they heard the sound of engines as what looked like a carrier screamed above them towards the valley below.

"Looks like our friends showed up," Fox said. "Or they brought more company."

"Fox, I just noticed something…" Krystal said. "The second I touched that wall, I felt something, almost like a pulse. It was as if the planet suddenly woke from a deep slumber."

"I hope that's a good thing," Fox replied. "That shuttle was heading down into that valley, let's check it out."

Moving across the field, they found a good vantage point at the tip of the valley. Below they could see what had been a large city. The buildings were still intact but no sign of life, except for the uninvited guests below. Fox took out his electrobinoculars and scanned the area. "Looks like they're mostly settled in the center of the city, a full company at least." Then he saw what they were bringing in and cursed. "Damn it, they have transfer gateways."

"So we take those out first?" Krystal asked.

"We may not be able to surprise them completely," Fox explained. He then looked down below. "They have a scout down there patrolling the area. I'll take care of him. You keep an eye on from here."

"You know, this is where I used to live," Krystal said.

"Really?" Fox asked.

Krystal nodded and then took her sniper rifle off her shoulder and set it up, loading a shell into the chamber. "If they really want to pillage my home, they'll have to go through me first!"

Fox slowly and quietly crept his way down the hill. Before the scout noticed, he ducked and rolled into the corner of the first building he saw. He peered over slightly and saw that the scout hadn't heard him at all. He quickly then took in his surroundings. _"The buildings will give me plenty of cover, but in a firefight this could get ugly quickly."  
_

* * *

(A/N: For the next part, the song I'm using is "Faithless" from Halo 4.)

* * *

*Fox then slowly made his advance on the scout. The lizard, who was carrying a small rifle, wasn't even wearing a helmet like the others, which would make this next part so much easier. By the time he did hear Fox, it was too late. Fox had grabbed him by the side of his face and pounded it into the side of the wall, cracking his skull. He never had a chance.

"_Permission to engage?" _Krystal's voice came into his ear.

"Not yet," Fox muttered. "I'll give the word when." He continued inward, using the buildings for cover. He could hear laughter while seeing some grunts carry over what looked like supplies.

"Man, the boss sure wanted us prepared coming here," one of the grunts said.

"Not sure why we need all this firepower," the other said. "We haven't heard anything about any enemy ships.

As Fox was listening, he soon saw the fuel containers and the idea came to him. "Krystal, you see those fuel containers?"

"_Shall I do the honors?"_

"Fire away."

Krystal had her sights lined up and the sound of the bullet being fired was slightly muffled from where Fox was but only for a second as the bullet caused a chain reaction of explosions, taking out at least six of their men. Fox added to that list as he got out of cover and fired his rifle in three round bursts.

"Shit, get to cover!" The pirates retreated and took a defensive position, firing rounds into where Fox was hiding. Luckily, Krystal had his back and fired a few more shots, their marks making contact and dropping two of them. _"They're out of my range Fox, moving towards your position."_

"Damn it!" One of the soldiers threw a grenade and had to jump out into another building to avoid the blast. Right now, he had to get to those transfer gateways before the rest of them were notified. He could see there were three of them placed casually in a group. If he could aim at it just right…

Fox grabbed a grenade of his own and threw it from behind cover. The blast wasn't quite enough but the shrapnel would disable them for good. "Krystal, I think we can clear them out now, moving towards the center." He leapt over the side and fired shots into the troops in front of them. They wore complete body armor from head to foot but it wasn't strong enough to repel bullets.

Once it was clear, he lowered his guard, but he didn't see the pirate behind him, lifting a shotgun. There was a sudden gunshot; Fox turned around and saw the pirate lying dead on the ground while Krystal stood behind him, her blaster drawn. "Had to save your tail yet again, Fox," she said with a smile.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Fox said, chuckling as he strapped his rifle back on. He then looked on. "Look at all this equipment."

"It's certainly enough for a small invasion, but why would they need it?" Krystal asked.

"Sounds like they were expecting company," Fox said. "But now that I think about it, it doesn't make much sense why they would be here in the first place, and what they want here."

All of a sudden, the radio from a dead pirate rang out. _"Scouting team, report."_ Fox and Krystal looked at one another. _"Scouting team, do you copy, over?"_

Fox then did what anyone would do. He took the transmitter out of the dead pirate's helmet and spoke into it with a low gruff tone. "Scouting party here, sorry for the delay."

"_Your equipment go buggy or something? The gateways just went offline."_

"Sorry about that," Fox said. "There was a weapon's malfunction, but we're currently fixing the situation."

"_Well… alright but if anything comes up, notify us immediately."_

"Will do sir," Fox said.

"Wow, that was a pretty convincing tone," Krystal said with fake admiration.

"I've had practice," Fox said casually.

"You do know they'll find out what's going on eventually," Krystal replied.

"Which hopefully by then, we'll be long gone," Fox said. Then a thought came to him. "Actually… we could use this to our advantage. We can use this to find the _Hornet._"

"But… I thought communications were jammed," Krystal said, confused.

"That's true, so they must be using a low-frequency signal," Fox said, adjusting the radio. "There, now we're on a separate frequency. _CFS Hornet, _this is Fox McCloud of the Star Fox team, does anyone copy?" There was static and no response. He repeated his words but still nothing, until-

"-FS Hornet_... transmission… garbled… located at coordinates…twenty clicks…communication jammer located-"_

"The jammer is still in place, meaning it has to be nearby," Fox said. "Wonder where we could find it…?"

"Does that tower look convincing?" Krystal asked, pointing north towards a large structure in the distance.

"It's a good start," Fox replied. "It sounds like the _Hornet _hasn't been found yet, so we better hurry."

"Wait, Fox." Krystal suddenly looked uncomfortable. "I… know this is a big thing to ask and we have a mission but… the palace is in the same direction and… could we take a quick look at it? It is home after all…"

Fox knew he shouldn't say yes, only because it was a race against time, depending on the crew's situation. But then again, Krystal earned a right to reunite with her home, even if it wasn't quite home. "Alright Krystal," he nodded. "We'll take a look."

* * *

(A/N: Okay, so I wanted to reveal something else important to the plot but… I had a change of heart last second. I hope you don't mind waiting a bit. You're probably all thinking it's just some pirates we're dealing with, right? Oh viewers, how wrong you are, but you'll find out soon enough. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and reviews are always welcome!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	4. Contacts

Chapter 4: Contacts

The Royal Palace was among the largest of all the structures that had encountered, and by far the most astonishing to look at. Just north of the city, it stood like a fortress and yet it also resembled something of a cathedral. Fox had never before put much thought into the fact that Krystal used to live here, as a princess. _"Cerinian royalty." _ Although perhaps to Krystal the title didn't matter anymore seeing as she is the last Cerinian alive… at least to their knowledge.

Krystal could only stop and stare at her former love. "It's… just like I remember. Magnificent."

"I'm sure it's more magnificent on the inside," Fox said to her.

Krystal nodded. "It is… I suppose I should give you the grand tour then," she said, laughing slightly. They stepped towards the main doors and they suddenly disappeared, as if they were never there. "I'm surprised there is still power here," Krystal remarked. "I never knew Cerinian technology was so resilient."

"This is _your _technology?" Fox asked. The best Corneria had were automatic sliding doors.

"I know it may surprise you, but the Cerinians had excellent technology advances, way before Corneria or Venom," Krystal explained. "In fact, it seems like both planets borrowed Cerinian technology."

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using is "Haven" from Halo 4.)

* * *

"That… explains a lot actually," Fox said. "I guess we owe a lot to you and your people then."

"Yes, but like others before we strove for more, too much that would eventually cost the entire planet." *The two of them entered the palace. It appeared to be much larger on the inside, with large windows, multiple staircases and doors three times Fox's height. "This was the main hallway. Just ahead is the throne room." Opening the doors, Krystal led them both inside, where two thrones stood. Fox guessed that this was where Krystal's mother and father sat throughout their lifetime as rulers.

"Father used to throw the grandest of celebrations," Krystal continued on. "Sometimes they would get a little hectic from time to time…" She paused for a moment. "I'm sorry Fox, there's one more place I'd like to look at and then we can move on."

Fox followed her up one of the staircases and then found her staring outside one of the rooms. She pushed the door open and looked inside. Mostly everything was bare, except for a bed and a window that led out to a balcony. It was as if she were in a dream, that last dream she had.

"This was your room?" Fox asked.

Krystal nodded and sat down on the bare bed. "It feels real… so it has to be real." All of a sudden her eyes widened and she got up. "Something's here."

"What is it?" Fox asked, looking around.

"I…I'm not sure," Krystal said. "The thought patterns I'm detecting are very… chaotic, and yet they seem familiar."

Fox looked outside the room and just out of the corner of his eye he saw something shoot down the hallway. "There's something here alright," he remarked, pulling out his blaster. "You stay here, I'm going to check it out."

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using is "Engaged" from Halo: Reach.)

* * *

"Be careful Fox," Krystal said as Fox slowly made his way down the hall, blaster at the ready. Just as he was about to turn the corner, he paused and took a deep breath before he went out, blaster raised.

Nothing. Whatever had been there was now gone. He relaxed for a moment and turned around to head back. *He then heard a sound above him and suddenly something came down from the ceiling and jumped him. Fox was pinned down and what was pinning him down was a life-form he didn't recognize, bipedal but covered in some sort of armor. The form's faceplate opened, revealing a blue skull as it roared at him.

Fox punched the thing in the face, stunning it before he used his legs to kick the life-form back before it teleported away. "Fox!" Krystal quickly came to his side, her blaster drawn, and helped him up. "What was that thing?"

"I don't know," Fox said. He then heard another noise and looked behind him. "But he brought company."

Suddenly, they were surrounded by a group of these bipedal forms. Krystal decided to switch to her staff. "I hope you have some sort of plan in the making," she said.

"I might have one, and hopefully it'll work," Fox replied. He then pulled out a small sphere and hit the trigger on it before throwing it at their feet. "MOVE!" The two of them ran for it as the grenade went off, sending off an EMP burst that make the life forms break down and dissolve into a mist of some sort.

Fox and Krystal quickly made their way down the stairs and once they were on the bottom floor they found other sentient forms that had a beast form. "Great, more of them," Fox growled as he shot them with his rifle. These forms went down with a few hits but the others that soon reappeared could take more of a beating. Fox put a full clip in before it went down and as soon as they got outside, turning around they saw that the beings disappeared completely.

"I suppose they're not originally from here," Fox said, panting.

"No, they looked like some sort of defensive AI," Krystal said. "They certainly aren't from this planet and yet they seemed to be protecting something."

"You said before something in their thought patterns sounded familiar?" Fox asked.

"Yes, and that's what makes it even stranger," Krystal replied. "Fox… you don't think…?"

"We can't know for sure until we find out more of what's going on," Fox replied.

All of a sudden, Krystal's radar started beeping. Looking at it, Krystal said, "Well, there appears to be some sort of satellite not far from our position and it seems to be amplifying the signal we heard earlier."

"We could use it to contact the _Hornet_," Fox stated.

"Right, but I think I also found out what's causing the scrambling," Krystal said, bring her radar out on display. "See, on two separate locations, these two structures are where the interference is coming from. As you can guess, it's quite a distance between the two."

"We'll have to split up then," Fox replied. "I'll take east, you take west. Make sure to keep in contact."

Krystal nodded. "Let's just hope the _Hornet _can hold out a little bit longer."

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using is "Belly of the Beast" from Halo 4.)

* * *

Krystal made her way west, sticking low with her sniper rifle. She could gunfire ahead of her and continued to do some reconnaissance. *As she expected, the structure was almost dead ahead, but the path was blocked by pirate forces engaging those AI units they encountered earlier. However, she noticed that now they carried weaponry, which appeared to release some sort of plasma energy, but where did they get them from?

Seeing as how both sides seemed to be entrenched, her best bet was to find a way to flank around them. Then she saw the system of caves ahead. As long as they didn't notice her, she could make her way to the scrambler while hiding in the shadows. Luckily the caves weren't too deep so she still had light to see where she was going.

Judging by what she saw, the pirates were also after the same thing she and Fox were, and oddly enough the AI units were desperate to defend it, which only asked another question: what was their purpose?

Krystal was getting closer to the scrambler when suddenly a small drone popped out right in front of her. She tried to hide but it was too late: whatever it was appeared to have alerted the other AI of her presence and one of them teleported in front of her, firing its weapon at her. She quickly dodged and fired off a few shots with her blaster.

It quickly teleported behind her and with a powerful swipe knocked her onto the ground. But instead of making its next move, it paused, looking at Krystal as if studying her, or scanning her. Before she could make a move it teleported again, leaving her alone completely but also leaving behind its weapon. Once she got back up she went over and picked up the gun, which looked like a rifle. What happened next was next to extraordinary. Once picking it up, the gun modified itself to fit into her hand and grip. _"This isn't some advanced weaponry… they took standard and upgraded them by themselves!" _ She then replaced the clip and continued on.

There was a small incline that she had to go up but soon she found a terminal. Luckily there weren't many buttons to push but she still wished she had some of Slippy's intellect. She pushed what she thought was the right button and the scrambler's low hum sudden shut off. "Right, now onto that satellite," she stated.

* * *

Fox, meanwhile, was currently in the middle of clearing his path that was full of AI units. Whatever these things were, they certainly knew military tactics. Snipers were on the hills while others were trying to charge him with shotguns. _"And now all of a sudden they have guns, wonderful," _Fox fumed as he ducked out of cover and shot another unit that charged him.

He then grabbed the shotgun, which to his amazement modified itself to fit his grip perfectly. "Well, why not?" he asked himself. He quickly charged forward, firing off plasma shell after plasma into the others, dropping them quickly. He quickly had to get back in cover due to the constant sniper fire. He then made his way upward, ducking from cover to cover until he flanked them and caught them off guard. It was then that his earpiece went off.

"_Fox, I disabled the first scrambler and am heading back to the satellite dish," _Krystal said.

"Got it Krystal, I'll meet you there," Fox said as he headed up and found the control panel. Pushing a button, the scrambler was disabled. Fox again tried to contact the _Hornet_. "_CFS Hornet_, this is Fox McCloud of the Star Fox team, do you copy?" Nothing, meaning they would have to use that satellite to hopefully get a signal.

He then continued back when all of a sudden an orange flash appeared out of nowhere, blinding him momentarily. As quickly as it came it was gone but his hair stood out on end. As odd as it sounded, it almost seemed like he was _scanned.  
_

* * *

(A/N: Well there you have it folks. These are the other antagonists in this story that you will see throughout. As to what they are and what they're doing, I'm going to keep that a mystery for as long as I can but you may or may not be surprised when you find out. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed the chapter and right now I'm debating whether to keep going on this story or to go back to my other Star Fox fic. I'll have to think about it.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	5. Nemesis

Chapter 5: Nemesis

_Alone in space, Krystal was wondering around, looking for the nearest planet to dock. She had no money, no documentation and if for any reason she ran into any fleet, chances were they may mistake her for a target. She was starting to wonder if she should've just stayed on the planet and went with her parents._

"No," _she thought. _"Mother and father did this for you, so don't throw away the life they sacrificed for you." _All of a sudden she picked up a transmission. It was garbled, and she noticed it was also in a different language. Her ship had a built-in translator that could decipher and translate messages. Of course she wasn't quite familiar with the technology but she knew she figured it out when the message changed. _

"Krazoa Palace… under attack! …Scales has… send help now!" _Krystal was able to trace the coordinates to where the distress signal was coming from. About twenty klicks from her current position she could see a blue planet. But what surprised her most was the fact the planet was breaking up, slower than anything she had ever seen. This was certainly something to investigate._

_She changed course, heading towards the planet that was known as "Dinosaur Planet".  
_

* * *

Krystal made her way back towards the satellite when suddenly an orange flash swept over her. During those few seconds, Krystal heard blood-curdling screams and the terror and agony she felt brought her to her knees as she held her head in her hands.

"W-What… that screaming… the agony… what was all that?" She hadn't felt such pain since the Aparoid attack on Sauria. She felt slightly dizzy as she got back up and continued on, but the voices would never leave her mind. She then reached the satellite, which was much larger than what they saw on the radar. The pain was still throbbing in her temple as she leaned slightly against the structure. She then heard something crunch nearby, whether it was a branch or leaf she did not know but she instantly pulled out her blaster. Krystal took a deep breath and suddenly turned the corner-

"Krystal!"

"F-Fox!" Krystal quickly lowered her weapon and put a hand to her chest. "Sorry, you scared me there…"

"You alright?" Fox asked.

"No, no I'm really not," Krystal replied. "This bright flash of orange came out of nowhere and I could hear screaming and cries of pain."

"I know, the same thing happened to me," Fox said. "Well, without the screaming part that is."

"This may sound crazy but what if those AI are protecting something?" Krystal asked. "I have a bad feeling about this…"

"I understand, but we don't have much of a choice," Fox said. "We need to get in contact with the _Hornet_ and we've also got pirates to deal with."

Krystal nodded as Fox pushed a couple keys on the console. The slow humming the machine emitted shut off completely. "There, now we should be able to-" Suddenly a portal appeared before them. "Okay… wasn't expecting that."

"Perhaps it leads to another satellite?" Krystal asked.

"Maybe," Fox said, suddenly turning around. "But we don't have time to wait and think." Behind them two transport ships appeared out of the sky and quickly deployed troops as well ground vehicles.

"On second thought," Krystal stated. "I'll take my chances with the portal."

"Come on!" Fox grabbed her hand and the two jumped through the portal.

The area around them fizzled, almost into static before less than a second later they found themselves in a completely new area. It was dark and all they could see before them was a large road of ground with a small beacon of light in the distance.

"Are we underground?" Krystal asked.

"Looks that way, but just how far I don't know," Fox replied. "There's something up ahead but it looks like a long distance."

"Wait… Fox look, ahead!" Krystal said. "I recognize a Cerinian vehicle when I see it." Just ahead of them was some sort of rugged ground vehicle that looked similar to the speeder he drove on Sauria and could fit two people. But that's all it really was, a transport; no weapons or anything.

"So this is what Cerinian technology looks like," Fox said, admiring the vehicle.

"It's not as polished as you would see on Corneria but it still looks operational," Krystal noted.

Fox got in but noticed there was no button or key to start it. "…So how do you start it up?" he asked.

Krystal couldn't help but laugh. "First of all Fox, you can't start it, only those with Cerinian blood can."

"Makes sense I suppose," Fox said, getting in the back. "After you." Krystal got in front and gripped the steering wheel. Her touch alone appeared to jump start the vehicle as it rose slightly off the ground. "DNA sensors?" Fox asked.

"Something like that," Krystal replied, revving the engine. "A lot more complicated to explain." She then gunned the accelerator and Fox had to hold on to Krystal's midriff to avoid being thrown off. Despite it being almost four years since leaving Cerinia, Krystal still remembered just how these speeders worked.

They continued onwards until the glow of the light grew brighter and brighter. It looked like some sort of pod that was being contained by some sort of barrier. "Any idea what that is?" Fox asked as they parked near it. "I don't see a console or anything…"

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using is "Nemesis" from Halo 4.)

* * *

*"I don't know but…" All of a sudden Krystal put a hand to her forehead. "I'm sensing something in there, something with so much hatred…" All of a sudden, the pod flashed with an eerie orange glow, the same as before. This time Krystal's head was flooded with pictures of terror, carnage, and destruction. She held her head in pain as she fell to her knees overwhelmed.

"Krystal!" Fox quickly went to her side and slowly helped her up. "What's wrong!?"

"It's…he…" Krystal was breathing heavily and could barely speak. Suddenly the pod lit up in a bright flash that blinded them both temporarily. Once it faded, the pod started opening and in the bright light they could see a figure inside. What surprised them next was the fact that once the figure could be seen, they saw that it had blue fur. _"Another Cerinian!?" _Fox thought.

The Cerinian slowly floated out of the pod and landed softly on the ground. "So…" the Cerinian spoke with a deep voice. "It has been four years and here I am, and here this planet still lives." He then opened his eyes and stared at both Fox and Krystal. "She thought she could turn my guardians, my own world, against me. But even she could protect her pets forever. I look upon your face, Lylatian, and I remember the stories that have been said about you. A hero of war, a guardian. But like others of your kind, you fail to see the truth, and it is your kind that brought destruction to this planet in the first place! You are nothing compared to the power I possess." Suddenly, armor appeared out of nowhere and fastened around him.

Fox pulled off his rifle but the Cerinian raised his arm and Fox was suddenly paralyzed and was lifted off the ground. "Don't bother," the Cerinian said. "I can easily control every muscle in your body…" He further proved this by tightening his grip and Fox could feel his breath being cut off.

"Tacitus, stop this!" Krystal had quickly drawn her blaster but he saw it coming and she was suddenly in the same position as Fox as their windpipes were being crushed.

"I would've expected such acts from a fool, but not you," the Cerinian named Tacitus said, addressing Krystal. "Even after all this time, you would still be willing to betray me, as well as your own planet."

Fox and Krystal were suddenly thrown and fell to the ground hard. Gasping for air, Krystal said, "This… was…never… your planet…" She got up slowly. "How are you still alive? I saw this planet explode."

"What you saw did happen, but what you think you saw did not," Tacitus remarked. "Do you remember years ago… when that Cornerian crash-landed on our planet?"

"Andross?" Fox said, panting. "What did he do?"

"The stinking ape wanted our assistance in building a machine that would store information on all living things," Tacitus said bitterly. "But that machine did not just store information, it eradicated the entire planet, and I found too late and did what was necessary. These… AI as you call them, are what's left of this planet."

"Those… are Cerinians!?" Krystal said, horrified.

"A sad fate for them, and they knew what I was willing to do… but now I hold influence over them once again…" Suddenly about twenty of these former Cerinians appeared, now looking even more hostile.

"You are a sick individual," Fox growled.

"As for this machine, it is currently hidden somewhere, but I will find it in due time," Tacitus stated. "Time was your ally, but now it has abandoned you. As you are now witnessing, the Cerinians have returned…"

* * *

(A/N: For this next part the song I'm using is "Escape" from Halo 4.)

* * *

Suddenly there was a flash of orange light as Tacitus and the pod disappeared into what looked like a warp gate. "Damn it, the warp gate is sending everything out of balance!" Krystal said. *"We have to get out of here before the whole place collapses!"

"Well you're driving!" Fox yelled as the two made their way back to the speeder. The Cerinians behind them were shooting at them but they had no time to waste. Krystal gunned the speeder as fast as she could as the ground below them started to shake. The walls and pillars around them were starting to collapse and Krystal had to make some last-moment maneuvers to avoid being crushed.

"There, the portal is ahead!" Fox pointed. It was in their sights but the ground below them suddenly gave out, leaving them in the air and Krystal made the jump. She was putting the engines to their max and with the vehicle being as old as it was, it could die at any moment. The portal was across a large gap and once they made the jump it was as if everything had gone into slow motion. However, they did manage to make it across and went right through the portal-

Right next to the edge of a cliff. "Shit! Jump!" Fox yelled as Krystal swerved and they both jumped right as the speeder zoomed off the cliff. Their momentum almost took them down as well but thankfully they stopped just in time. "Well… that was close…" Fox remarked.

Suddenly Fox's commlink went off. _"This is the _CFC Hornet_, requesting any Cornerian assistance. We are on the ground at coordinates 45 degrees west, 60 degrees north. We've encountered enemy activity and our resources are limited."_

"_CFC Hornet,_ this is Fox McCloud of the Star Fox team," Fox replied. "We've picked up your transmission and are here for rescue. We're heading to your coordinates."

"_Star Fox…damn it's good to see a familiar face. All we ask is that you hurry, we're picking up multiple hostiles in our area."_

"We're on our way," Fox replied, ending the transmission.

"Fox look!" Fox quickly turned and saw that a warp gate had appeared and the same pod as before came out of it before shooting off north.

"I guess we know where he's going," Fox stated.

"Same place as we are," Krystal said, dusting off her suit and pulling off her sniper rifle.

"Wait, Krystal," Fox said. "What's going on here? Who was that guy?"

"He's a Cerinian like myself," Krystal said. "And let's just say whatever he has planned is not good for here or the Lylat System."

"You knew his name though…" Fox reminded her.

She sighed. "Yes… I do know him. I know him because… he's my uncle."

* * *

(A/N: And there you have it folks, meet your antagonist of the story. I'm actually quite proud and I hope I can make him a very good villain. As for who he actually is, I'll explain more in due time. But I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I will probably have a new chapter posted up by next week.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	6. The Keeper

Chapter 6: The Keeper

_Royal Palace, Planet Cerinia; Ten Years Ago_

_Krystal was waiting in her room, unable to contain her excitement. She kept her ear to the door until finally she could hear voices coming from outside. She then opened the door, looked down the hallway and saw him. "Uncle!" she cried, running towards him as he grabbed her and hugged her._

"_My dear Krystal, it is good to see you again," Tacitus said, giving her cheek a kiss. "Your father has been telling me you two have been doing some one-on-one training." He then looked at Krystal's father. "And I hear she's getting quite good."_

_Her father chuckled while rubbing the back of his head. "She does learn fast."_

"_I'd be willing to show you," Krystal said, a grin on her face. "My melee and staff skills are pretty good, maybe we could do a round sometime."_

"_How could I refuse?" Tacitus replied. "But I'm afraid it'll have to be another time, for I'm only staying for a short time."_

"_Aw…" Krystal's face drooped in disappointment._

"_Your uncle has been busy with his work," her father explained. "But he assures me in a few weeks he'll be able to spend more here in the palace."_

_Suddenly the doors behind them burst open and a sentry ran up to them. "Y-Your majesty! There's something falling from the sky! Look outside!"_

_They all looked outside and indeed something was falling from the sky. Whatever it was, it was coming down faster than it should be, meaning it had to be a ship. The reentry was going to leave it a charred mess. It then crashed into the forest beyond with a small flash._

"_Tacitus, I want you to stay here with Krystal," her father said clearly. "I will take some of the Royal Guard and we will investigate this."_

"_But father, I want to see it as well!" Krystal cried._

"…_See Aetius, I told you she reminded me a lot of you," Tacitus stated. "Plus you know she's going to come along one way or another."_

_Aetius hesitated. "If her mother finds out about this, I'll never hear the end of it. Very well Krystal, you may come along but stay by my side at all times."_

_The three of them, along with members of the Guard swiftly but quietly made their way into the forest. The forest was filled with nocturnal creatures but they knew better than to attack; the Cerinians were dedicated hunters. They followed in the opposite direction of where the smoke was coming from. It didn't take long before they found the crash site. Where there had been trees now stood a large crater and at the bottom of it laid the remnants of a ship._

"_I'm sensing biorhythms…" Krystal said softly. "Whoever's in there is still alive!"_

"_Come on, let's pry open that door!" Aetius commanded as he, Tacitus, and the others struggled to open the door of the ship. Krystal watched from behind as they slowly opened the door. The inside smelled of smoke and everything electronic inside was fried. But then Krystal and the others saw who was inside._

_It was not a Cerinian, nor a vulpine at all. The figure inside was a large ape, lying unconscious in his seat.  
_

* * *

Fox and Krystal headed north to where the _Hornet_ had crashed while Krystal explained everything. "My uncle was a brilliant scientist, the only real scientist Cerinia ever had," she said. "Though he was committed to his work, he was a kind man and always had high regards. But things changed about five years ago, when fate seemed to fall from the sky."

"Andross," Fox acknowledged.

"Yes," Krystal said, suddenly stopping. "Even though Andross was only on the planet for a short time, something changed in Tacitus. We rarely saw him and when we did, he was like a completely different person. My mother and I didn't know why, but my father did, he being Tacitus' brother. Finally, one day, he and my father had a huge argument over something and that was the last I saw of him… until now." She shook her head sadly. "But what troubles me is that shortly before Cerinia was destroyed, when I was with my father, he mentioned how Tacitus had done something which lead to the destruction. Tacitus must've been working on some experiment and somehow it went wrong. But what troubles me even more is the possibility that my father knew what was going on…"

"Krystal." Fox went up to her and put both hands on her shoulders. "You couldn't have known what was about to happen, nor could your father. If Tacitus means to wage war, then we have no choice."

"But those AI… they are Cerinians and he's using them like slaves!" Krystal's face changed suddenly as the look of hatred and anger swept across her face. It was enough to make a normal person flinch.

"I don't like it either but we can at least put them to rest," Fox said gently. "They deserve that much."

Krystal's face softened as she took a deep breath. "We have to stop him at all costs."

"And we will," Fox said, patting her shoulder. "Come on."

"There's one other thing you should know," Krystal said as they continued on. "Tacitus is among one of the few Cerinians who can use telekinesis, which was what we both experienced before, meaning hand-to-hand is out of the question."

"So there are no conventional ways to stop him?" Fox asked.

"…Not that I know of," Krystal replied.

Heading north found them hills and mountains in the distance and once they were at a high point, Fox scanned the area. "It looks like there's another temple up ahead, and it's even bigger than the last one."

"It's going to take longer to get around so we'll have to go inside," Krystal said, jumping off from the ledge. "And perhaps it's just me, but I have this feeling that we want to go through that temple."

"You sure you're going to fine with that rifle?" Fox asked.

Krystal and automatically checked her holster. "Damn it, you're right, I did leave my blaster back there. Oh well." She then took out her staff which extended automatically. "It has been awhile since I've properly used my staff. Did I ever mention how long it took me to fix this after you used it on Sauria?"

"Oh come on," Fox said. "We're not _really _going to discuss this again are we?" Krystal started giggling as she continued forward. Fox growled in annoyance as he followed suit.

* * *

(A/N: For this next part the song I'm using is "Aliens" from Halo 4.)

* * *

*Upon reaching the temple, Krystal noticed the design was quite different, more modern than the temple before. "I didn't realize they had built a temple in my time," she murmured. Pressing her hand on the console before her, the large door opened automatically. "This is very strange…"

Inside was a long hallway but it was lit with dim lights. "Somehow this place survived as well," Fox remarked.

"This temple, everything here is unfamiliar to me," Krystal said. "But… look at the walls." On the walls were more pictures, but they did not depict ancient times but rather more recent times. There were markings that represented ships and even a picture of Cerinian City, her home. "It's almost as if it was built recently, within the last four years."

"Four years… but that can't be possible," Fox said. Then again, he realized, at this point a lot of things that would seem impossible were now looking that way.

"Let's keep moving forward," Krystal said. "I don't detect any hostiles, so we're safe for now."

Fox kept looking around until something caught his eye. It looked like a diamond of some sort inserted into the wall but it was also flashing as well. "What is this…?" he asked quietly. Suddenly the jewel reacted to his presence and suddenly everything turned white. "Augh- what the-!?" He suddenly fell unconscious.

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using is "Solace" from Halo 4.)

* * *

*Fox opened his eyes slowly and noticed he was lying on the ground, which suddenly appeared white. Opening his eyes more, he saw that the entire place around him was white. "Krystal?" he called out. "Krystal, where are you?"

"Do not be afraid." The voice echoed around the room. Fox reached back and realized he did not have any of his weapons with him. "I have been waiting for you, citizen of Corneria." Suddenly, he looked up and saw that a figure was floating down gently to where he was standing. The blue fur told him right away who this person was.

"You're alive as well?" Fox asked.

The Cerinian smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, no. I perished along with the others when Cerinia was destroyed."

"…Who are you exactly?" Fox asked.

"My name is Aemilia," the Cerinian stated. "I am known now as the Keeper, the one who was originally looking over this planet before Tacitus' sudden return."

"I don't understand," Fox asked. "How is it you and he are still here but the others have been… turned into machines?"

"Tacitus managed to save himself before the planet blew up," Aemilia explained. "The pod you saw is able to withstand large explosions but he too was caught in it. Somehow he managed to survive. As for me, my will was too dedicated to my people and as fate would have it, I have been given the role you see me in now."

"And what role is that?" Fox said.

"To help protect the Lylat System from war," Aemilia stated. "Centuries ago, Corneria and Cerinia were constantly at war and it lasted for almost an entire millennia. But peace eventually came between the two worlds. Tacitus means to reignite that war. He plans on leaving Cerinia, and he plans on using a terrible device that was the cause of our own destruction. You must not allow it."

"So… Tacitus destroyed his own planet?"

"Not intentionally," Aemilia continued. "The device originated from a Cornerian known as Andross, which was meant to be used as a bioweapon. Tacitus had no idea of its true purpose until it was too late."

Fox's mood darkened. Even in death, Andross was still causing terror and destruction. "So how can I stop him?"

"You cannot beat him conventionally, but I know a way that you can," She then took a few steps forward and took Fox's hands. She then closed her eyes. "Only Cerinians have been born with this power… Fox McCloud, I ask you to accept this gift." Her eyes opened and they flashed an azure blue.

Fox felt power surging through him, along with pictures going through his brain at large speeds, pictures of the entire Cerinian culture. It was over as quickly as it began as Fox took a step back, adjusting. "What… did you do to me exactly?"

"You now bestow power that all Cerinians have, and I believe it will prevent your undoing." Aemilia explained. "Fox, I did all I could to prevent the past from returning, but the outcome was inevitable. I do not believe stopping Tacitus will put us all to rest… but it will prevent further pain. We do not want war. It is up to you to stop the past from recurring. If not for us, then perhaps you will do it for your companion?"

Fox reacted slightly but gained his composure. "Of course I will, for the entire Cerinian race."

Aemilia then put a hand to his face and smiled. "I only hope the fallen can forgive us, for not saving them in time." The ground suddenly started to quake slightly as she turned and looked back. "…He has found us."

"_Even in death her meddling continues."_

Suddenly, before them were Cerinian warriors, ready to attack. "Fox, I have done all that I can. You must do the rest. Now you have a chance of defeating Tacitus."

"How exactly!?" Fox said quickly.

"_RELINQUISH YOUR CONTACT, KEEPER!"_

"…The time will come when you will face him, but it will take effort on both your parts to do so," Aemilia said. "Farewell Fox McCloud, I am not sure if we will meet again, but I will pray for you, even though I am among the fallen…"

There was a sudden flash of light and Fox felt as though he was being shot backwards into a wormhole. He then found himself on the floor of the temple; Krystal was by his side.

"Fox, you're okay!" she said, hugging him tightly. "What happened? Your brainwaves are going at speeds that are normally impossible."

Fox smiled slightly and patted her shoulder. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure… but there was another Cerinian… she spoke to me and… did something to me."

"Another?" Krystal asked. "What was her name…?"

"Aemilia."

Krystal's heart stopped. She knew the name all too well, but it was impossible. "I see…"

"Do you know that name?" Fox asked, noticing her surprise.

"…No, it's no one," she replied. She then got up and helped Fox to his feet. "I'm just glad you're okay. Don't scare me like that!"

Fox chuckled slightly. "I'll try not to again, I promise."

The look on Krystal's face and the way she approached him told him she was completely serious. "I mean it Fox," she said, her face almost in his. "If something, anything happened to you I…"

His smile faded and he nodded with a serious look. "I know. But let's not stand around; we have to keep going don't we?"

Krystal nodded and the two made their way out of the temple. She then turned back and looked at the temple. "I hope we can meet again… someday."

* * *

(A/N: I'm just going to say this now, if anyone has any idea who this Cerinian, don't even think about spoiling anything. I may have made it a bit obvious but not everyone knows that, so please refrain from that. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I'm glad I was able to upload earlier than expected.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	7. Hornet

(A/N: So I had this idea in the back of my head and decided to share it with all of you. Despite saying I'm not a huge fan of _Command, _I have thought about doing a story with Kursed in it. Of course, it's still in development, meaning "I kind of have an idea what it's about but not exactly". But for now, I'm going to focus on the stories I'm working on now. Also, I made some changes both to the last chapter and the other story. It's now going to say 10 years instead of 5, silly me. Also I changed the one chapter in my other story because I saw what Katt looks like in 64 3D and decided to go back to her regular look, even though in my opinion she looks like a fox now. JUST SAYING, even though I'm not complaining really.)

* * *

Chapter 7: Hornet

"_I recognize this lifeform anywhere," Aetius said after they managed to get the large ape back to the hospital wing of the palace. "He is a Cornerian no doubt."_

"_But what was he doing outside of the Lylat System?" Tacitus asked. "And what caused him to crash land?"_

"_Krystal," Aetius said. "I want you to find your mother and stay with her. We don't know if this ape is a threat to us or not."_

_Krystal looked ready to argue but decided against it, nodding before she left. Soon after she left, the ape started coming to. "Ah, good you're awake," Aetius said calmly. "You were injured in the crash, do you remember what happened and who you are?"_

"_I… remember having engine trouble and the last thing I remember before blacking out was seeing a forest…" the ape murmured. "As for my name… I am Dr. Andross Bowman."_

"_And you are from Corneria?" Tacitus asked._

_Andross nodded. "I was exploring planets outside of the Lylat System, but I was not planning on landing here. I apologize for any inconveniences."_

"_Do not worry friend, you are in safe hands," Aetius said. "All that we ask is that you rest until your strength has returned. If there is anything you need, don't hesitate to ask."_

_After they left, Aetius quietly said, "Whoever this Cornerian is, I do not trust him. There's something about his aura that is dark, very dark."_

"_Even so, why would he be here then?" Tacitus asked. "You're suspecting this was all staged?"_

"_I'm not so sure," Aetius said. "Keep an eye on him brother; the sooner he's left this planet the better."  
_

* * *

"_Fox? Do you copy?"_

"Peppy, we're here," Fox answered immediately. "Communications cleaned up?"

"For the most part yes," Peppy replied. "What's going on down there? Enemy activity has increased up here significantly."

"How bad? And have they noticed you?" Fox asked.

"They haven't yet, but there are five battlecruisers here now, three came out of warp," Peppy said. "I hope you have an idea of what's going on."

"We've got bigger problems than pirates right now Peppy," Krystal said. "I'll try to put it as simply as I can: there's a Cerinian named Tacitus who is looking for a weapon that is capable of destroying the entire Lylat System."

"Yes, I can say that _is _a bigger problem," Peppy said matter-of-factly.

"Is Slippy there?" Fox asked.

"What's up Fox?" Slippy asked.

"Can you pick up anything on the _Hornet_'s current location?"

"Nothing so far, meaning the ship took huge damage," Slippy replied. "But I can activate their friend or foe tags so you can pick them up on radar."

"Thanks for the help Slip, Fox out." Fox then turned to Krystal. "We can't be far now, they're going to need all the help they can get."

They continued onward toward another where the forestry was beginning to get thick. Deeper inside was a swamp, which was the perfect spot for an ambush. It was also a lot darker and having to walk through the water was unpleasant. "Fox, Cornerian personnel are nearby," Krystal stated.

"Wonder if they're lying in wait," Fox said. It was unfortunate he didn't stay long in the academy to figure out Cornerian military protocol. He could only hope now that one of them doesn't decide to shoot on contact.

Krystal gasped suddenly, realizing her mistake. "Fox, they're-!"

"FREEZE!" It was as if the soldiers came out of nowhere, they were that fast. Some were hiding in the trees while others had apparently been lying in wait in the water. Their camouflage was most impressive.

"Wait! Stand down they're friendlies!" One of the soldiers from the back came forward as the others lowered their weapons. "My apologies McCloud, we weren't aware that you were coming."

"You didn't hear our transmission to the _Hornet_?" Fox asked.

"No, communications is still a bit buggy down here," the soldier explained. "I'm Lieutenant Tim Axelrod and this is Orion squad. We built an outpost just outside of where the _CFC Hornet _to protect against the pirates, who were last seen headed this direction."

"You mean the _Hornet _is defenseless?" Krystal asked.

"Lieutenant, I don't know what your orders are but you have to return to the ship immediately," Fox stated. "The Cerinians have returned, but not in the way you think and they're heading towards the _Hornet_ as we speak, if they're not already there."

Axelrod was silent for a moment. "You're sure?"

"I'm willing to bet anything on it," Fox said. "Contact the _Hornet _and warn them."

"Alright, our outpost isn't far from here," Axelrod stated. "The swamp is interfering with our sensors, so stay alert. Orion squad, move out!" He then turned to a private. "Private, get these two rearmed, they're going to need it."

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using here is "Swamp" from Halo 4.)

* * *

*Fox and Krystal, along with Orion squad, made their way through the thick, dense swamp. "Sir, I'm picking up movement up ahead, not one of ours," a soldier called out.

"Safeties off gentlemen," Axelrod stated.

Suddenly, plasma fire went off in their direction. "Contacts!" another soldier yelled as he opened fire. There wasn't much cover save for a couple trees and a rock, which they all huddled against. "What are those things!?" More of the Cerinians appeared but now they were accompanied by smaller units.

"The wildlife here has been assimilated too!?" Krystal said out loud.

"Take them all out, I don't care what you have to do, we're getting back to the ship no matter what!" Axelrod ordered.

Fox peered out from behind the tree and saw one of them in the trees ahead. Taking the DMR he was just given, he lined up the scope and pulled the trigger; a clean shot. Soon the gunfire died out and Axelrod gave the signal to move out.

Soon they were getting to the edge when they could hear more gunfire up ahead. "Damn it, boys need our help," Axelrod said. "Double time!"

There were about five or six men still at the outpost, holding off against the Cerinians. The outpost itself was another set of ruins. The doors were closed, meaning they were protecting something. They were certainly dug in deep with the machine gun nests they had set up. Unfortunately, the Cerinians unnatural ability to teleport was giving them some issues. "Sir, we could really use some help here!" one of the gunners yelled. Axelrod then pulled out a shotgun and charged straight on. Three of them were dead and only two shells used. Realizing they were surrounded, the other Cerinians retreated, teleporting away.

"There'll be more where that came from," Fox said.

The doors then opened and a German Shepherd came walking out in full military attire, accompanied by an Australian Shepherd female in combat gear. "Glad you made it back when you did lieutenant," the former said. He then looked at Fox and Krystal. "I'm Executive Officer Hill, and this is Corporal Savannah, in charge of Cornerian ODSTs. It's a pleasure to meet a decorated officer, even if they refer to you as a mercenary."

Fox and Krystal quickly shook his hands with each of them. "So explain what happened here," Fox said.

"Pretty much what you've probably heard," Hill said. "We were observing the planet when suddenly a gravity shift pulled in the entire ship. The damage wasn't extensive and no casualties, thankfully, but as of right now we're stuck on this planet."

"Captain Rio has sent scouts to find out where the gravity well that pulled us in is," Savannah said. She then looked at Fox with a wry smirk. "By the way, I thought you'd be taller."

"Anyway, we should be getting a transmission-" Suddenly there was a loud pinging sound coming from inside the ruins and Hill quickly went back inside and answered the call, coming from a radio. "Captain, this is Hill."

"_Hill, where the hell are you!? _Hornet _is under attack, I repeat, under attack by pirate forces and an unknown force!"_

"We're on our way sir, hang on," Hill said, ending the transmission.

"It seems McCloud was right after all," Axelrod stated.

"We had reports of such beings on the planet but we didn't know they were hostile," Hill said. "You probably have a lot to explain but that'll have to wait. Savannah, I want you and the rest of the group to accompany McCloud and Krystal back to the ship. We'll provide air support with the dropship."

"Yes sir," Savannah said, saluting quickly. "Alright boys, time to kick some ass and clean house."

* * *

(A/N: For this next part the song I'm using is "More Than His Share" from Halo 3 ODST.)

* * *

*Luckily for them, they had transport to take them back to the _Hornet_. They had three LRVs with mounted machine guns along with a transport vehicle. As they continued onward, they could hear gunfire in the distance. Fox and Krystal were currently riding alongside Savannah in one of the LRVs. "Hill, how does it look from the air?" Savannah asked.

"_Not good at all,"_ Hill said. _"Where the hell did these pirate forces come from? They can't possibly have this many soldiers."_

"The only good pirate is a dead pirate," Savannah said.

"I can tell you came out of the academy," Fox remarked.

Savannah grinned. "Damn right, and proud of it. You two might to hang on, this is gonna get a little bumpy…" She then switched to all-wheel drive and drove straight off a cliff… into the middle of a battlefield. Luckily the gunman was trained for bumpy encounters like this and fired at will at both pirate and Cerinian. "Savannah to _CFC Hornet, _the cavalry has arrived."

"Wait a minute, the pirates and Cerinians are working together!?" Fox exclaimed.

"I doubt willingly, Tacitus must have forced them against their will," Krystal replied.

"Just what we need," Savannah grumbled as she swerved the vehicle and stopped it right outside of where the _Hornet _lay. Pulling out her pistol, she quickly shot two pirates without batting an eyelash. Fox and Krystal then joined in on the fight as the soldiers got a boost of morale and pushed forward, guns blazing.

"_Captain Rio, is the ship okay?" _Hill asked.

"_She's fine Hill, I'm just glad you all got here when you did,"_ Rio said.

"_They're starting to fall back, keep at them men!" _Hill commanded.

The battle continued as the coalition of pirates and Cerinians started to fall back, or rather it was the Cerinians who disappeared, abandoning the pirates completely. Without the support, the pirates barely stood a chance as some managed to retreat, the others dead.

Axelrod gave the order to cease fire, and the area suddenly became quiet. _"Area is secure once again Captain," _Hill said. _"Orders?"_

"_I want you and Savannah on the main deck immediately," _Rio said. _"Same goes for the Star Fox team."  
_

* * *

(A/N: Well, despite all the other distractions of this week I managed to get this chapter done. I can't say this is one of my better chapters but you have some good ones and you have some bad ones. Next chapter I promise will be more entertaining. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and if you think I should go ahead with a Kursed fic, just let me know.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	8. Convoy

Chapter 8: Convoy

_The next day, Tacitus returned to the hospital wing where Andross laid, still in his bed. The nurse had just left right before he arrived so he knew the two of them were alone. "Alright doctor, I think it's about time you explained yourself as to why you're really here," he said._

_Andross smirked and gave a slight chuckle. "I see you are more quick-witted than I thought," he said gently. "Very well, ask away."_

"_Why are you here, and did you really crash land here or was it deliberate?"_

"_I did have engine trouble," Andross stated. "But I did previous lie as to why I'm here. I am soon going to be waging a war against Corneria. They did not think my experiments were… humane and therefore banished me to the planet Venom. In response, I have raised what is perhaps the largest army the Lylat System has ever seen."_

"_And you want Cerinian support?" Tacitus asked._

"_I want your technology," Andross said. "It would give me a huge advantage in the upcoming war. I need it to create a weapon, a weapon that would force Corneria on to its knees." He then stared at Tacitus. "I know long ago you and the Cornerians were bitter enemies and somehow they defeated you. It would seem appropriate to exact revenge on them."_

"_It is tempting…" Tacitus said. "But I am not king, and my brother would never wage war. We are now a peaceful civilization, and it would take months, even years to mobilize to the strength that Corneria has."_

"_Unless… I have you build the weapon that is needed," Andross said, smiling an evil smile._

_Tacitus smiled in return. "Do you have a blueprint?"_

"_Of course."_

"_Very well, but it may take some time before it is completed," Tacitus explained._

"_Same for the Venomian Army," Andross replied. "We will begin in less than a year… I do not know if I'll even need the weapon, if Corneria surrenders early but I will return once it is completed."_

"_You have a deal," Tacitus said. "But do realize once you have healed your wounds, you are to leave immediately."_

"_I understand," Andross said. "It is only appropriate to act as a proper guest."_

_After this meeting, Tacitus would begin his work almost immediately, hoping to meet the deadline that was given to him. But by the time the war began, the weapon was still not completed, but it did not matter, for the war only lasted a few months, with Andross' death following after.  
_

* * *

Fox and Krystal were currently on the main deck of the _Hornet_, observing the holovideo before them along with XO Hill. "So… can anyone tell me what the hell these things are?" Captain Rio, a golden eagle with a stern face, was currently looking at the pictures that were taken of the now reformed Cerinians.

"Judging from the data we collected and what Fox and Krystal told us, there is no doubt that these beings are, or were, in fact Cerinians," Hill said, providing data on his tablet.

"A cruel fate indeed," Rio said. "But how did it happen and why are they hostile?"

"There was a device that was created by Tacitus that caused the entire Cerinian race to be wiped out, along with the planet," Fox explained. "But somehow everything returned, and the Cerinians, except for Tacitus, were completed assimilated into AI. Whatever this device is, it's still on the planet and very dangerous."

"I see," Rio said softly. "Then we have no choice. Hill, I want you to assemble all our forces. We're going to attack the gravity well and as soon as we're free, we're out of here."

"You're leaving?" Krystal asked with a bewildered look.

"Captain, we have to make sure Tacitus does not leave this planet," Fox said. "As long as he's here, he is vulnerable."

"Well perhaps you haven't noticed McCloud but we're just as vulnerable," Rio barked at him. "We are just one ship, a ship that at this point will barely make it back to Corneria." Fox glared at him but stood down. "As I said Hill, gather up the men. We launch in thirty."

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using here is "Convoy" from Halo 4.)

* * *

The first three transport ships took off, including the one Fox and Krystal were currently in. Captain Rio's transmission was then broadcasted to all ships. _"Orion and Sirius squads,"_ the captain said. _"You are nearing the rendezvous point with the Reaper, and the gravity well is not far from their location." The hologram then displayed a large canyon littered with large anti-aircraft guns. "But the area is cluttered with enemy guns and personnel and the _Hornet_'s shields are still down. Once you rid of those guns, _Hornet_ can blast that well to kingdom come. Just flash us the coordinates and we'll do the rest. Rio out."_

Fox then looked over to Savannah, who had joined them. "What's a Reaper?"

"A little new toy the Cornerian Military developed," she replied. "Well, little is probably not the right word. Before the Aparoid attack on Corneria, the project was still in development and luckily it was underground at the time so it was never damaged. Thing costs a fortune to build."

They soon began their descent and once the back doors opened they were quickly introduced to the Reaper. The vehicle was the size of a base, and it had machine gun posts on every side. It was also able to travel long distance due to the treading on the bottom. "This baby is able to hold up to five tanks, and almost a hundred personnel," Savannah explained. "Needless to say, it could hold itself rather well." She then addressed the other soldiers. "Alright gentlemen, let's load up and get moving, that gravity well isn't going to blow itself up."

*Once everyone was aboard, the Reaper started moving. Escorted by a group of tanks, the convoy quickly made its way into the canyon. _"Reaper, this is Shepherd One, we're seeing enemy activity heading your way. Pirate drop ships coming in."_

"Roger Shepherd One," Savannah responded. "Hey McCloud, feel free to take up one of those machine gun posts."

"Got it," Fox said, heading to one of the posts and aiming towards the north.

"Here they come," Savannah called. "All units, light 'em up!"

The drop ships came in quick, about ten of them but the Cornerians were ready. Cannon fire came from the tanks as the machine guns lit up. The first three went down but others made emergency landings as the pirates descended.

"Watch out, there are Cerinians coming as well!" Krystal warned.

"We'll take of them," Savannah said. "Tank brigade, keep an eye on any incoming drop ships." As the Reaper continued along, they soon came to a large open structure, but something was blocking it. "A force field?" Savannah asked. "Are you kidding me?"

"_Reaper, we can see generators but they're entrenched deep, you're gonna have to go on foot to get to them."_

"Krystal and I can take care of them," Fox stated.

"Alright, but take some of the men with you," Savannah replied.

"McCloud, you're probably going to need this," one of the soldiers said, tossing a shotgun to him.

Fox quickly checked how many shells he had. "Let's get going."

Fox and Krystal, along with about five other marines, headed east deeper into the canyon. "Enemy!" The Cerinians teleported into view and the marines opened fire. "We'll keep them busy, just take out those generators!" one of the marines cried out, tossing Fox some C4.

Pocketing it quickly, Fox gave a quick look to Krystal and she nodded back. They quickly headed forward and any Cerinians that appeared were unfortunately met with the end of a military-grade shotgun right into the face. The generator was indeed entrenched deep but as soon as they found it, Fox quickly stuck some C4 onto it. "Onto the next one!"

The other generator was on the opposite side and as long as the Reaper was idle, it was vulnerable. The other generator was closer than the last and Fox repeated the same process. Once he and Krystal were at a safe distance, Fox clicked the trigger and both generators exploded. _"Awesome work McCloud," _Savannah said via commlink. _"Reaper is mobile once again."_

"_This is Shepherd One, I'm going to get a closer look at what's ahead_._"_

"_Careful Shepherd, those guns could pick you off like a fly," _Savannah warned.

"_As long as I'm out of distance..."_

Fox and Krystal then saw the Cornerian fighter take off ahead of them. Suddenly, one of the cannons in the distance fired and Shepherd One was hit. _"Shit, I'm going down!" _The ship crashed to the ground but remained intact. _"…I'm alright! The damn thing took out my entire wing."_

"_Damn it Shepherd…" _Savannah grumbled. _"Hang on, help is on the way. If you play dead, maybe they'll ignore you."_

Regrouping with the Reaper, they saw what lay ahead. The area was crawling with turrets and enemies. "Savannah, I see the guns but there's no way we're going to get through there in one piece," Fox warned her.

"I'm well aware of that," Savannah said. "Tank brigade, this place is littered with baddies. Can you clean up this mess? We got you covered."

"_With pleasure ma'am,"_ one of the tank brigadiers responded. _"Basset Brigade, you heard the lady."_ The tanks then moved ahead and quickly lobbed some shots toward the guns. Despite how high-tech these guns were, they were no match for artillery fire. Most of the enemies were caught in the explosions, but some managed to retreat. Just up ahead was the gravity well, which appeared to be larger than previously thought. _"No wonder it was able to pull an entire ship in," _Fox thought.

"_Corporal, all guns disposed off, _Hornet _to fire."_

"Nice work Basset group," Savannah said. "Savannah to _Hornet_, the road is clear, we're about to light the runway for you."

"_Good work everyone," _Rio said. _"_Hornet _is on the move."_

"Here," Savannah said, tossing Fox the target designator. "You can do the honors."

"Alright," Fox said. "You got my back Krystal?"

"Always," Krystal said, nodding.

Fox then got up on the large rock in front of him, giving him a clear view of the gravity well. "_Hornet_, this is McCloud, we're ready for the fireworks." He then targeted the well as the device beeped and turned red.

The _Hornet _soon arrived and its front cannons soon began firing. The gravity well soon lit up like a Christmas tree and whatever was holding it in place crashed down into the pit below. Fox stared at the scene as Krystal appeared behind him. "Quite the view isn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah, it certainly is," Fox said. He then noticed that Krystal had reached out and took his hand. Fox automatically clenched hers lightly.

* * *

By the time the group returned back to where the _Hornet_ had previously landed, it was nightfall and repairs still had to be done for the _Hornet_, some of them new from the skirmish before. Krystal was sleeping in one of the barracks on the ship while Fox was by himself outside, staring at the stars.

"Hey Peppy," he then said. "Picking up anything on the airwaves?"

"_Nothing so far," _Peppy said. _"Oddly it's gone quiet on the pirates' end. I bet they're waiting before sending in anymore troops."_

"I don't like this one bit," Fox said. "If this device, whatever it is, managed to destroy an entire planet, there's no way we can let it touch Corneria, or any planet."

"_Agreed,"_ Peppy said. _"But I have a feeling this isn't the only thing you wanted to ask me about."_

"…Yeah, you're right," Fox said. He wasn't sure how to word his next phrase. "It's about Krystal… I think…"

"_Hmm… is it finally possible that you're starting to develop feelings for her?"_

"Hey, what do you mean 'finally'?" Fox growled jokingly. "I've… had feelings for a while but I just wasn't ready to express them."

"_I'm just kidding Fox," _Peppy said with a chuckle. _"All I can say is there's a right time and a wrong time to tell her. You'll have to figure out the rest."_

"Fair enough," Fox said. "I'm sure Dad would be laughing at me right now."

"_Maybe, but then again he was the exact same way when he met your mother so he can't laugh much."_

Fox grinned slightly. "Good ol' Dad. Well… like you said, I just gotta know when to tell you, preferably when we're not in danger of being killed."

"_All I can say is don't mess it up like your past girlfriends!"_

"Falco!" both Fox and Peppy said.

"Ugh, if I wasn't down here right now…" Fox grumbled.

"_Go get her tiger," _Falco said, chuckling. _"Besides, if it weren't for me you probably wouldn't be with her in-"_

"Yeah, yeah I get it, Fox out." Fox sighed slightly and looked back up at the stars. _"When the time is right… I will make sure to tell her."  
_

* * *

(A/N: And there you have it folks, a little bit of everything. Action, romance, comedy, you name it. I'd say drama but that'll be next chapter. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you all later.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	9. To the Skies

(A/N: I should warn you people, the beginning here is going to include some Saurian. Luckily, you can google a translator and it should translate what is being said. Sure it's kind of tedious, but it's only for the beginning part. Also, the song I'm going to use here is "Arwing Fight (Meteo)" from Star Fox Adventures.)

* * *

Chapter 9: To the Skies

_Krystal was closing in on Dinosaur Planet, and what she saw ahead was quite amazing. The planet was literally in pieces, yet everything was still stable. _"The situation here is worse than I thought," _Krystal thought. She no longer heard the distress call, meaning her time was limited._

_*Suddenly, laser fire blasted over her bow and Krystal all of a sudden found herself being pursued. No doubt they were part of the distress signal and there was no point in reaching out to them. Unfortunately, her ship had no weapons, meaning all she could do was to avoid fire and reach the planet in one piece. Krystal wasn't quite the ace pilot her father used to be, but she used the small debris field in front of her to her advantage._

_The enemy pilots obviously weren't deterred by this and aimed for Krystal's engines. The shot rocked her ships and alarms went off inside the cockpit. She had lost engine one and engine two was leaking fuel. _"I just need to find a place to land…" _The next shot took out her other engine and sent her spiraling out of control. She tried to stabilize, but it was no use. She braced herself as her ship entered Dinosaur Planet's atmosphere.  
_

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using is "Storming CloudRunner Fortress" from Star Fox Adventures.)

* * *

_Krystal didn't feel the impact of the crash but slowly she crept out of consciousness. Eyes opened slightly, she saw wires all over the place and sparks flying out of her cockpit, which was completely shattered. She then heard footsteps coming and went completely still. She wasn't sure if they were friend or foe and if they thought she was dead, the better._

"_Nxuk aj kxaj? Jemo vep wahc?" a low snarling voice said. Krystal realized she almost recognized the language, for it was almost similar to the language her people used to speak centuries ago. No doubt these were natives._

"_A kxadb jxo'j tout," another voice said._

_The first voice growled in annoyance. "No ted'k doot vepoj vuccadw vhem kxo jb0. Semo ed, no rokkoh wok meho wi0j udt wok xoh eik. Kxo rejj mawxk ro adkohojkot ad bdenadw ureik kxaj." _

_Once the footsteps were gone, Krystal knew she was safe and opened her eyes. She quickly pulled herself out of the wreckage and took out her staff. No doubt they would be back soon. *Krystal then realized despite being on solid ground, she was high up in the air. It was some sort of fortress, but it was oddly quiet._

_The main gate was open, which then led to a set of stairs. After climbing up and going through a small hallway, she then found what appeared to be one of the main areas of the fortress, which had a small pool of water in the middle. Unfortunately, the area was crawling with what appeared to be small dinosaur grunts clad in armor, most likely the same as the ones she had earlier. There were also drones that were circling around, for security no doubt. _"I'd do well to avoid both of them," _she thought._

_Sticking close to the shadows, Krystal slowly made her way across. There were piles of rock on the ground, meaning a battle had taken place before. She then ducked into the next walkway as a drone slowly floated past her. She then decided to go on this path and slowly went down a set of stairs. She could hear slight murmurs and once she turned the corner, she emitted a small gasp._

_The room, which was rather small, was being used as a jail cell. There were six cages on the ground but she saw only one that was being inhabited. The creature inside resembled that of a pterodactyl and it looked like it was sleeping. She slowly made her way to it and when it opened its eyes Krystal quickly gestured to keep quiet. She then saw across the room there was another of those small dinosaurs sleeping at a desk._

_The pterodactyl then looked at her curiously and whispered, "Nocc 0ei'ho sohkuadc0 de CloudRunner eh Sharpclaw eh ud0 tadejuih A hosewdaqo. Nxe uho 0ei?"_

_Krystal hesitated slightly, trying to remember the language her mother taught her when she was little. "M0 dumo aj Krystal udt... A utmak A'm dek giako ijot ke jfoubadw kxaj cudwiuwo."_

_The pterodactyl chuckled. "0ei uho meho vciodk kxud 0ei kxadb. A um Kite ev kxo CloudRunner kharo udt kxaj aj CloudRunner Fortress. Kxuk voccu eloh kxoho aj fuhk ev kxo Sharpclaw kharo."_

_Krystal smiled slightly. "U fcoujiho ke mook 0ei Kite. Rik nx0 te kxo Sharpclaw xulo 0ei amfhajedot?"_

_Kite shook his head slightly. "Eih nxeco kharo xuj rood amfhajedot r0 General Scales, coutoh ev kxo Sharpclaw kharo. Xo'j kubod eloh kxo odkaho fcudok." He then paused. "Av A mu0 ujb, nx0 uho 0ei xoho?"_

"_A sumo ushejj u tajkhojj jawduc vhem kxo fcudok rik m0 jxaf nuj jxek tend. Idvehkidukoc0, A xulo de ekxoh nu0 ke housx ak," Krystal explained._

_Kite nodded. "Loh0 nocc. A'cc kocc 0ei nxuk, av 0ei sud wok kxo bo0j vhem kxo Sharpclaw udt wok mo eik ev xoho, A'cc xocf 0ei vadt kxuk tajkhojj jawduc."_

_Krystal nodded and looked towards the Sharpclaw that was still asleep. Walking slowly over, Krystal took out her staff. The Sharpclaw then started to wake up and noticed Krystal, but before he could go for the club next to him, Krystal swung her staff and it caught the Sharpclaw in the back of the head, knocking him out onto the desk once again._

_Krystal then grabbed the keys and then unlocked the cage. Kite then walked out and with a small cry of relief he extended his wings. "Ex xen daso ak nacc ro ke vaducc0 vc0 uwuad." He then looked at Krystal and motioned with his wing. "Xef ed. A sud vc0 ij eik ev xoho. Kxo Sharpclaw ned'k xulo u sxudso ke boof if."_

_"Rik nxuk ureik 0eih vumac0, 0eih vhaodtj?" Krystal asked. "0ei sud'k zijk coulo kxom roxadt!"_

_Kite suddenly looked regretful. "M0 vumac0 aj dek ad tudwoh. Rik olod av A tat vhoo oloh0edo ocjo, no uho nakxeik eih giood. Av no hajo uwuadjk kxom, kxo0 nacc dek xojakuko ad baccadw xoh. M0 ojsufo ucedo moudj dekxadw ke kxom."_

_Krystal nodded, understanding his dilemma and it soon reminded her of her father. She then got on and Kite extended his wings again, flapping into the air and took off up towards the ceiling of the tower. Then through the small window, they made their escape from CloudRunner Fortress.  
_

* * *

As soon as dawn broke the next day, Fox and Krystal met with Captain Rio, accompanied by Hill and Axelrod. "Unfortunately, the _Hornet _took some damage from the last attack and it cannot suffer through another," Rio explained. "Now that the gravity well has been taken care of, we can easily leave the planet, but considering there is still the presence of those pirates, we will need to make a hasty retreat."

"But Captain, you can't leave now," Krystal said.

"Tacitus is now on the run and vulnerable," Fox stated. "If he leaves, Corneria is in danger and the only way we can stop him is with _Hornet_'said."

"Look, I can understand what you think you saw," Rio started.

"Excuse me?" Krystal said in disbelief.

"With all due respect sir, I know what I saw and I know what will happen," Fox said heatedly.

"And with all due respect to you soldier, I will not risk the lives of my crew to go on some witch hunt for supposedly dead Cerinians," Rio argued. He then turned to the pilots. "I want us in the air ASAP and when we get back to Corneria I want us docked in with the seventh fleet for repairs."

Suddenly, the lights on the ship started to flitter as some of the computers started to short circuit. Then Fox saw that Krystal had her hands clenched, her eyes closed, and her fangs bared in a snarl. "I won't… let you leave… THIS PLANET!" Most of the other computers began to short-circuit and there was a small blackout before the power returned.

"Krystal…" Fox said in shock.

Krystal looked at herself in terror, unaware of what she just did. "I… I didn't… What did I…?"

Rio impatiently looked at Hill. "Lieutenant Hill, I want you to escort the young lady to the detention cell and she's going to stay there until we reach Corneria."

Hill looked at Rio and then to Krystal as she was still muttering words in a panic. He took two steps forward before Fox stepped in between and shook his head slightly.

Rio then stepped forward and stared daggers at Fox. "Out of the way McCloud."

"We can't let Tacitus leave and we will stop him, with or without your help," Fox said sternly.

Rio's face then flushed with anger. "I… am ordering you… to STAND DOWN!"

Fox then took another step and got into Rio's face. "No sir."

Rio gritted his teeth and turned to Axelrod. "Lieutenant, arrest these two!"

"Captain!" Hill interjected.

"ARREST THEM!"

"CAPTAIN!" Hill yelled, trying to calm him down.

Fox grabbed Krystal's arm. "Warn the fleet to prepare for an attack," Fox told Hill. "We'll do what we can here." The two of them left, leaving Rio standing there speechless.

* * *

"I remember when I was a little girl, I used to play in the fields, outside of the palace," Krystal said as she stood against the balcony in the launch bay, staring out towards the horizon. "The sun on my face, the wind blowing through my fur… I can remember every part of it. And right now, everything here looks the same, but I know it's not the same, and it never will be."

"If your people were still alive, would you have a different opinion?" Fox asked.

"Possibly," Krystal said softly. "But with this planet in existence, and my people gone, it's a disgrace to all Cerinians."

Hill then entered the room. Taking a deep sigh he said, "So what's your plan?"

"_Hornet _has tracked Tacitus' vessel to a docking structure southeast of here," Fox said. "We'll jump ship as _Hornet _exits the roof."

"…You know I was sent down here with orders to keep you from leaving," Hill said.

"Yeah…?" Fox asked.

"In case you had already gone I took the precaution of ordering a fighter, outfitted for full combat pursuit," Hill said. A Cornerian fighter was then brought up. "I hope you're wrong about that Cerinian McCloud, or whoever he is, but in the event you're not…" He then did a small gesture towards the ship. He then started walking out but then stopped. "By the way, good luck out there… both of you." He then took his leave.

Krystal then looked to Fox. "Come on Fox," she said. "Take a girl for a ride?"

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using here is "Mantis" from Halo 4.)

* * *

After the Aparoid War, it was decided by the Cornerian military to upgrade their weaponry, fighters included. The new Cornerian fighter resembled that of the model used during the Lylat Wars, but compared to that model, the new one had improved thrusters, G-Diffusers, and upgraded laser turrets. This fighter in particular was a prototype of itself: it held two passengers, the pilot and a rear-facing gunner with an installed plasma gun to shoot off enemies.

Fox and Krystal both knew this would be their last encounter with the Cornerian ship for quite a while so they prepared for the worst. Fox picked himself out a SAW while Krystal picked out a DMR. "I'll let you do the honors of flying," she said.

"Think you can handle that gun?" Fox joked.

Krystal scoffed. "Come now Fox, look who you're talking to."

"Good point." Fox climbed into the cockpit and activated all systems. "Gonna do a quick pre-flight check. Engines are good; G-Diffuser system is online, laser turrets online. All systems go." *Fox then went full thrusters as the fighter shot out of the launch bay into the Cerinian atmosphere. Fox was impressed with how smoothly the ship flew. He'll have to keep that in mind.

They headed southeast until they saw the docking structure. "There's Tacitus' ship!" Fox said. "Damn, but it's surrounded by a shield. Any ideas how we can take it down?"

"I'm sensing power sources in both of those towers surrounding his ship," Krystal stated. "It's our best chance."

"He's also got some friends," Fox said, noticing the pirate ships. "Alright, I'm going in." He then shifted right and the pirates picked him up quickly. These pilots were mere amateurs compared to Fox however. He quickly pulled the trigger and the green lasers quickly shot down three of their fighters. Two fighters then showed up behind them. "Let 'em have it Krystal!" Krystal opened fire on the two ships and the plasma cannon ripped the hulls of the ships like paper and they were wiped out of the sky immediately.

Once the area was clear, Fox landed the fighter at one of the stations and opened up the canopy. "We have to hurry before Tacitus decides to take off again," Fox said as he pulled out the SAW. He quickly punched the button on the pad and the doors opened, revealing an elevator. Fox and Krystal got in and the two were transported upwards. Once the doors reopened, they saw the power source on the other end of the room but the only way to get across was via a gondola.

"Fox, you take the controls, I'll be the lookout," Krystal said. Fox nodded and started up the gondola which slowly made its way across the room. As they expected, company showed up as Cerinian snipers took aim at them from the small platforms left and right of them. Fox and Krystal both had to take cover as she unslung her DMR and took aim, taking out the first sniper in one shot. More plasma shots rained upon them but Krystal was patient, timing her shots. Soon the gondola finally made it across and Fox ran to the power source, hitting the only button he could find and the generator shut off. The Cerinians, in response, disappeared, probably to apply more defenses at the other station.

Once they made it back, they hopped back in the fighter and made their way to the other stations while the pirate forces were pulling back, to protect Tacitus' ship no doubt. They found another elevator upon landing which again took to the next floor above them. This room, however, was different as there multiple structures for cover. The other power source like before was across the room. _"Your efforts are admirable, but foolish."_ Suddenly, the room was filled with Cerinians, who opened fire immediately.

* * *

(A/N: Okay, I was debating whether to keep going on or not but then I decided it was probably better to stop because there's a lot more that would've gone on before I would even have a chance to break off the chapter. Either way, the next chapter is pretty much the point where the story starts winding down. Yes people, the end is in sight but I promise you all you won't be disappointed. You'll just have to stay tuned to find out.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	10. Fully Operational

(A/N: For the beginning part here, the song I'm using is "Desecration" from Halo 4.)

* * *

Chapter 10: Fully Operational

*Fox and Krystal quickly found cover as the Cerinians opened fire. They were all over the place, leaving them little room to maneuver and little time before they would be overrun. "Krystal, take cover!" Fox yelled as he took off the safety on his gun and opened fire. The SAW, as powerful as it was, had a large kickback but luckily Fox had trained with heavy machine guns in the past.

The Cerinians had thick armor but it could not hold out against a barrage of bullets as dozens of them went down. He started clearing a path towards the power source as the Cerinians, wary of their fallen comrades, fell back into cover. Suddenly one of them, one of the elite Cerinians by the look of it, jumped forward and started attacking Fox with what looked like a high-frequency blade. Fox pulled the trigger – but nothing fired as the gun had suddenly jammed. He used it as a shield, only to have it sliced in half like butter. Fox tried going for his blaster but the Cerinian was too quick.

A shot was then fired and the Cerinian fell, a bullet straight through its head. Fox looked behind him and saw Krystal had her rifle raised, smoke billowing out of the muzzle. "Okay, I owe you for that one," Fox said as he pulled out his blaster and shot two more bogies.

"Thank me later," Krystal said. "Go, I'll cover you!"

"Got it!" Fox said, running forward and shooting anything that got in his way. He finally reached the control panel and hit the shutdown button. The slow humming from the machine stopped and Fox breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"There, the shield is down, now let's go after Tacitus!" Krystal said. She then pulled out a grenade. "Fire in the hole!" She hit the trigger and threw it across the room. The Cerinians had no hope of escaping in time as the EMP grenade went off, leaving slight traces of their existence.

Suddenly, the room started shaking, almost knocking Fox off his feet before it quickly subsided. "What the hell was that?" he asked.

"I don't know but Tacitus is definitely up to something," Krystal said. "We're running out of time, we need to hurry." The two quickly headed down the elevator and back to their ship. The shield around Tacitus' ship was now gone but he was making no attempt to flee.

"Alright Tacitus, it's the end of the line here," Fox said as they took off and headed towards the ship.

Krystal's senses went off like an alarm. "Fox, look out!" Suddenly, the ground below them appeared to explode, shooting debris and rocks in every direction and causing Fox to swerve and hit the brakes. As the dust was settling, something very large slowly came out of the ground. Judging by the hole in the ground, it was very large. The thing they saw in front of them was one of the largest ships they've ever seen, even larger than the _Great Fox._

"What…what is that thing?" Krystal said, mystified.

Fox then remembered what Aemilia had said and realized the truth. "Of course," he said. "What Andross created… it's not just a weapon, it's an actual ship!"

Krystal then saw Tacitus' ship land on top. "Fox, drop me off on top of that thing," she said.

"What are you nuts!?" Fox exclaimed. "I'm not leaving you alone on there!"

"I have to stop Tacitus from taking off," Krystal said. "Don't even try arguing with me now Fox."

Fox growled slightly. "Fine, but I promise I won't be from your side long."

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using here is "Awakening" from Halo 4.)

* * *

The design of the ship made it impossible to land on top and as soon as Fox found a good spot, he lifted open the hatch and Krystal jumped out, hitting the surface and getting her balance. She quickly pulled out her blaster and slowly made her way towards Tacitus' ship. "It's over Tacitus," she said sternly. "We're not letting you leave this planet."

The doors on his ship opened slowly. *"Dear Krystal, if only your father could see you now," Tacitus said, exiting the ship. "He would be so proud of how much you've grown. But he would be slightly disappointed how you've let yourself be so easily influenced by the Cornerians."

"Don't even mention my father," Krystal growled, more than ready to pull the trigger and end his life. "After all you've done, you don't even have the right!"

"Your parents were fools and never understood the punishments we had endured," Tacitus said. "And I see the same could be said about you. I never wished death on you or your parents, but if you're only going to get in my way, then I have no choice." His sudden movement was so fast Krystal didn't have the time to fire a shot. The blow that came to her body next sent her flying and she crashed onto the ground close to the edge of the ship.

Tacitus then grabbed her and lifted her by her throat, cutting off her oxygen. "Your father gave you the opportunity to live," he said with a low growl. "You should have never come back."

Krystal's vision started to blur but she suddenly heard the sound of a ship fly. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Fox, who jumped out of the ship, as he flew down and managed to kick Tacitus to the ground using his feet, freeing Krystal from his grasp.

The blow did knock the breath of him, but managed to keep his balance. "Of course, the great Fox McCloud, Lylat's finest hero to the rescue," he said tauntingly. "In the short amount of time I spent with Andross, he told me much about you, how you'd end up as much of a nuisance as your father."

"The fact that you even worked with that crazed ape is enough of a reason to put you away," Fox said, blaster drawn.

Tacitus smirked. "You think you can stop me with such archaic weaponry? You don't know who you're dealing with, Cornerian."

Fox had enough of this vulpine and fired a few shots. But the shots didn't even seem to hit him as some sort of barrier was protecting him. Tacitus responded by waving his arm and Fox was suddenly sent flying and crashed into the ground, his ribs almost feeling like they were going to break.

Tacitus then reacted in time of Krystal's staff coming at him and stopped it by merely grabbing it. His elbow then struck her in the head and she crumbled to the ground unconscious. "K-Krystal!" Fox tried to get up but the sudden pain in his chest limited his movement.

Tacitus looked at both of them. "I see…" he then said. "Now I understand completely. As it turns out, Krystal at the moment is more valuable to me alive." He then turned to Fox. "As for you, you can enjoy your stay on this planet, if you manage to survive the fall."

Fox once again found himself flying as he went off the edge of the ship. He tried to grab onto the edge but there was nothing to hold onto. Luckily the fall wasn't nearly as bad as he thought as there was a small platform which he landed on hard. Amazingly, he still hadn't broken anything but he was sure he'd definitely have a few bruised ribs at least.

Tacitus then reached down and picked up Krystal's limp body. "The way that this weapon must be powered is almost diabolical," he said to himself. "But it must be done, for we have earned the revenge we deserve." He then entered the ship and set his destination towards Corneria.

* * *

(A/N: Okay, I wish I had an actual track or song for this but unfortunately David Wise apparently never released it on the Adventures soundtrack so I have to go with what I got here. /watch?v=TJ6Q9t5AV2g At least you'll get some appropriate sound effects! :D)

* * *

*The fall had caused Fox to black out momentarily but he started regaining consciousness as he heard the sound of engines above him. He looked up and saw that the enormous ship was starting to take off and leave Cerinia's atmosphere. He then got up slowly and spotted his ship nearby. Despite the pain, he quickly made his way over, jumped into the cockpit and started up the engines. After retracting the landing pad he activated full thrusters and started in pursuit.

* * *

(A/N: And now for this next part, the song I'm using here is "Star Fox – Space Armada Orchestrated".)

* * *

As he was exiting Cerinia's atmosphere, he opened up a channel to Peppy. "Peppy, Tacitus is escaping and Krystal is on that ship with him! I need _Great Fox _to slow him down!"

"_Sorry Fox, but we got problems of our own!"_ Peppy replied. _"The pirates finally found us and are attempting to take on the ship but Falco and Slippy are busy holding them off."_

"Damn it…" Fox growled. "Alright, I'll give Falco and Slippy a hand." He then changed course and headed towards where the _Great Fox _was currently. More Venomian battleships had appeared and were trying to butt heads with the Cornerian dreadnaught. He then saw two Arwings exchanging fire with both the battleships and Venomian fighters.

*"Falco, Slippy, what's the situation?" Fox asked via commlink.

"_Well gee Fox, it's about time you showed up,"_ Falco said sarcastically. _"Don't mind us if we're busy taking on a small Venomian fleet."_

Fox ignored his wing mate's complaining. "You two alright Slippy?" he asked.

"_We can surely use the help Fox,"_ Slippy replied. _"But where'd you get the new ship? And where's Krystal?"_

"To put it short, she's on a Cerinian ship that's headed towards Corneria," Fox said.

"_Are you serious!?" _Falco exclaimed. _"Well of course we have to go save her!"_

"We will, but we'll have to take care of these guys first!" He then headed towards the first battleship, which immediately started opening fire on him. Fox dodged the laser shots with eased and opened fire on the ship's center, its weak point. After about a dozen laser bolts the ship split in half and exploded.

"_Hehe, chewing things up as always Fox!" _Peppy said in support.

Fox then noticed a ship was tailing him and quickly did a somersault, falling behind the ship and shooting it down with ease. Two battleships remained, or rather one now since the other exploded after taking shots from _Great Fox's _main cannons.

"_Woohoo nice shot Peppy!" _Slippy cheered.

"_Warning, warning, detecting warp gate transmission!" _ROB suddenly stated throughout the channel.

"_Another cruiser?" _Peppy asked.

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using is "Boss B" from Star Fox 64 3D.)

* * *

*A warp gate appeared and suddenly a large mech came into view with a rail gun attached to its right arm. _"Oh you have got to be kidding me!" _Falco said.

"_That thing's huge!" _Slippy yelled.

The mech instantly targeted them and started firing its rail gun. Falco tried firing at it but its armor was tough. _"This thing is tougher than it looks!" _Falco groaned. He then paused for a moment before saying, _"Fox, Slippy, Gramps, and I will take care of this guy, you go save Krystal."_

"W-Are you sure?" Fox asked.

"_Of course I'm sure!" _Falco replied. _"You are the big hero as always!"_

Fox smiled slightly at the comment. "…Alright, I guess I'll see you guys soon then." He then did a U-Turn and headed back towards where the Cerinian ship was heading. He then saw a warp gate in front of it appear. _"A warp gate!?" _Apparently Cerinian technology was more advanced than he thought.

* * *

(A/N: For the final part of this chapter, the song I'm using here is "117" from Halo 4.)

* * *

*"Hey Peppy, I hate to say it but it looks like I'm going this one alone after all," he said.

"_Understood Fox," _Peppy said. _"Do what you have to do to save her."_

Fox nodded in response as he quickly made his way towards the ship. He then flew down as close to the ship as he could as its shields raised up. Now Fox would be okay through warp space. The Cerinian ship was larger than he previously thought as he started flying through the large trenches. Up ahead there were turrets that immediately started firing on him. He deflected the shots doing a barrel roll and returned fire, destroying the turrets.

The walls suddenly started moving on him, trying to clip his wings but Fox maneuvered his way in between the gaps. _"So you are still alive after all," _Tacitus' voice resonated through the cockpit. _"But you're already too late…"_ Soon the ship started coming out of warp space and the familiar blackness of space returned.

Fox's channel suddenly lit up. _"Cornerian Defense Force, the Cerinian ship has appeared on radar. Fire at will!"_

"_So _Hornet _did_ _warn the fleet!" _Fox realized. "_CFC Hornet_, this is Fox McCloud. Captain Rio, do you copy?"

"_McCloud, is that you!? This is Hill!" _

"Lieutenant, where's the captain?" Fox asked.

"_Cornerian Command didn't take kindly to him leaving you guys on Cerinia," _Hill replied. _"Right now, I'm the one in charge."_

"I need a way into the ship, think you can provide some help?"

"_We'll do our best but the ship appears to be protected by a shield so cannon fire is almost useless," _Hill replied. _"We'll keep trying but if you can get inside and take down the shield, then it won't have a chance."_

"Will do Captain," Fox replied. The long trench continued but more turrets were appearing, trying to shoot him out of the sky. Luckily at their range Fox was able to dodge these with ease but one managed to graze his wing, thankfully not blowing it off. Suddenly, the blast doors ahead of him were starting to close. Fox pushed the thrusters to maximum as he barely cleared through. The prototype was clearly being put to the test.

"_Command, MAC rounds are proving ineffective!"_

"_All ships, keep the pressure on the Cerinian ship!" _Hill ordered. _"Fox McCloud needs to get in that ship and I'm not planning on letting him down!"_

The trench started to narrow as Fox saw an opening ahead. Once he cleared it, he found himself at the heart of the ship where there was a large opening. But suddenly it started closing before Fox had time to react. "Damn it," he said. "_Hornet_, my path inside has been blocked, can you provide assistance?"

"_If we focus on that one spot, we might be able to blow a hole inside it," _Hill said. _"But we can't get close with those turrets shooting at us."_

"I'll take care of those, stand by _Hornet_," Fox said, spotting the power sources immediately. The large turrets were busy focusing on the Cornerian ships to not see him. He targeted the first power source and tried out his bombs, shooting one out and the detonation took out the power source completely. All four of them were in a circle position. Fox then found the second and opened fire, taking out the second one. Two more to go.

He quickly took care of the last two, causing the ship's main guns to stop firing. "Alright _Hornet, _the road is clear."

"_Might want to clear out as well," _Hill said. The _Hornet _and two other Cornerian frigates made their way towards the ship and all three fired MAC rounds at once, punching a large hole into what were the blast doors.

"_Sir, we have a direct hit!"_

"Clean shot _Hornet_," Fox said. "I'm headed inside now."

"_Copy that McCloud," _Hill said. _"Give Tacitus our regards…"_

Fox pulled up his nose as high as he could go before shooting downwards into the hole. The pathway appeared to be a small channel that leads straight into the heart of the ship. _"You are becoming more of an annoyance than I imagined," _Tacitus said straight into Fox's head. A warning light told him that the channel behind him was starting to close in on him.

Fox quickly switched power from the shields to the engines, causing the thrusters to boost at speeds the ship could barely handle. The pathway started to narrow as well but just ahead he could see light. He gunned the fighter as fast as he could, as it became so narrow both of his wings were clipped off. The light was starting to falter as another door was starting to close. He then ducked his body below the seat as the last thing he heard before blacking out was the sound of screeching metal.

* * *

(A/N: I should be so proud of myself, getting this chapter done in less than two days. I realized after making you all wait a week it would be better to make up for it by providing another chapter. Also, I have finals next week which means I want to get this done as soon as I can. That's right people, next chapter will be the final chapter and boy it ought to be good! …Hopefully. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you all real soon.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	11. Plan B

Chapter 11: Plan B

"_Fox…"_

All Fox could see was darkness. He had no idea if he was unconscious or actually awake but he certainly couldn't feel any pain.

"_Fox…"_ And now he was hearing a voice calling his name, probably sent to claim his soul for there was no way he could have survived that crash. _"Fox, wake up!"_

Fox suddenly opened his eyes and the first thing he noticed was the smell of smoke and leaking fuel. His head was aching and his vision was spinning but he knew now without a doubt he was alive. He then loosened his seat straps and, using all the force he had, he kicked open the cockpit and then jumped out, stumbling slightly.

"_Fox… can you hear me?"_

"What… who is that?" Fox replied, his head still spinning slightly.

"_It's Aemilia, are you alright?"_

"I'm not quite sure how this is happening… but I'm alright if not a little banged up and bruised," Fox replied.

"_Remember the gift that I gave you?" _Aemilia asked. _"You are witnessing it with your own ears. You have the gift of the Cerinians, meaning you can speak to them telepathically."_

"I see… so that means I can find Krystal's location?" Fox asked.

"_Exactly."_

"Might as well give it a try," Fox said. He then closed his eyes and took a deep breath, ignoring the pain in his chest. At first there was only darkness but a picture soon came into view. It was large and bright, the center of the ship no doubt. However, the picture faded as soon as it came. "I was looking through Krystal's eyes," Fox said. "Damn it, she passed out. I have to hurry and find her." He then took out his blaster and headed down the small corridor.

"_It won't be long before reinforcements show up," _Aemelia said. _"There's also more I need to tell you about what you're facing against."_

"I'm listening," Fox said as the door in front of him opened and revealed the next room.

"_The weapon that Tacitus created, although it destroys the physical form of life forms, it is then converted into data and stored, like a computer."_

"Are you saying this thing is full of… Cerinian "data"?" Fox asked.

"_As horrible as it sounds, yes,"_ Aemelia said. _"And Tactitus will do the same to the Cornerians, all in his quest for revenge. But what's even worse is that it needs the life energy of a Cerinian to power it."_

"So that's why he has Krystal," Fox growled. "No matter what happens, that weapon needs to be destroyed."

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using is "Arrival" from Halo 4.)

* * *

*The room he was in now was divided into sections, with launch pads to jump from. It wasn't long before Cerinian reinforcements showed up, opening fire. Fox went to cover and quickly took out the first Cerinian that approached him. He then grabbed its weapon which appeared to be an assault rifle with scope that quickly customized to his grip. He then pulled out a grenade and flung it behind him, clearing out the area.

He moved forward as the Cerinians hunkered down to their defenses. _"You'll have to do better than that to stop me Tacitus," _he thought. He then saw some of the smaller AI units appear in an attempt to catch him off guard. He then opened fire, taking care of the small ones with ease.

Suddenly one of the assassin Cerinians teleported out of the air with its blades extended, ready to stab Fox repeatedly. Fox dodged out of the way in time and used the butt end of the rifle to stun the Cerinian before firing plasma shots into its head. He continued up a stair way which soon led to a console. Pressing the button created a space bridge that connected to the other side.

After crossing it, the enemy attacks started to increase. There was a turret ahead that started firing on him. He was too far away to get a good shot so he moved from side to side each time the turret stopped firing. Once he was close enough, he took another grenade and threw it as far as he could. He had only one left.

The blast was enough to disable the turret and he continued forward, reaching another console which activated another bridge, this time leading to the center of the room. "What is this thing?" Fox asked. There was a beam of blue light that went straight through the ceiling.

"_That light will lead you to the next floor," _Aemelia told him.

"I'm assuming this is what Cerinians consider an elevator?" Fox asked.

"…_That would be correct."_

Fox stepped forward and once he was in the light it lifted him up towards the next room which was similar to the previous room.

"_Tacitus and Krystal are just beyond that door," _Aemelia said. _"But you must hurry; he is almost in range of Corneria."_

This area was loaded with defenses: there were two turrets guarding the door on the other side while a plethora of Cerinians appeared to stop him. "Ugh, there's just no end to these guys," Fox growled. He aimed down the scope and picked about three of them before fire was returned. As he peeked over, he then saw another Cerinian, carrying something large pointing at him. "Oh sh-!" He barely had time to move; he sprinted and fell to the ground as the rocket exploded right where he had just stood. Much to his dismay, the rocket wielder was heading towards his position. Then Fox had an idea.

He stood behind the wall, waiting with his blaster drawn. If he didn't time this right, he'd be blown into oblivion. As soon as he heard it coming, he moved out of cover and aimed to pistol-whip the Cerinian. Of course the plan failed as he was suddenly sent into the wall. Vision foggy, he had to move his head out of the way as the Cerinian tried to whack his head off.

Fox quickly recalled the training he had learned back in the academy all those years ago and swung with his feet, kicking the Cerinian off balance and causing it to crash to the ground. Before it could react, Fox quickly fired a shot into its head, killing it for good. He then saw the rocket launcher and a smile crept onto his face.

The remaining Cerinian forces stood near the door, waiting to see what Fox would do next. What they certainly didn't expect to see was Fox with a rocket launcher. The single rocket exploded across the platform, taking out all of them as well as the turrets. "Anymore enemies I should worry about?" Fox asked.

"_No…" _Aemelia said. _"All that stands between you and Krystal now is Tacitus himself. I hope you're prepared to face him."_

"Prepared or not, I don't have a choice," Fox said as he finally made it to the door.

"_Fox… there's one last thing," _Aemelia said. _"This will probably be the last time we'll ever encounter each other. I only ask of one more thing for you."_

"What is it?" Fox asked.

"_When this is all over… I want you to tell Krystal… Tell her… her mother is proud of her… and that she's sorry that all of this had to happen." _Fox stopped in his tracks in surprise but after a short moment he nodded and pushed the button on the console to the left, opening the door.

All that stood in front of him was a large structure, the very thing that Andross designed years ago. There was a small bridge in front of him and just ahead he saw-

"Krystal," Fox said, hurrying over to her. She was on a vertical table, held by magnetic locks on her hands, feet, and neck. He could tell by her slight breathing that she was still alive but if what Aemelia said was true he didn't have much time. He immediately started looking for a button or switch. Suddenly, the weapon started to power up, causing an area of warp space beneath the platform. Fox tried looking for a shutdown switch but it was too late. An orange laser shot out of the machine and it headed straight for Corneria. "Damn it!" He was too late to stop it from firing but he had to shut it off before the entire planet was affected.

"You persist too long after your own defeat." Fox quickly turned around; his gun raised but saw nothing. He then turned back to Krystal to help her and he soon noticed his presence. "Come then Warrior, have your resolution."

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using is "Majestic" from Halo 4.)

* * *

Fox felt his heart pumping at an accelerating rate and he swung around, ready to fire but Tacitus was too quick. With a wave of his arm, Fox was thrown into the ground but quickly steadied his feet. He tried again to charge Tacitus but suddenly he felt his body go rigid. "So misguided…" He then felt his body float over the bridge, towards the abyss below. *"Cornerian imprisonment is but a kindness," Tacitus said, tightening his grip. Fox's neck tightened as he started suffocating, his vision clouded with dark spots.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure limping towards him. He looked at Krystal in bewilderment as she stared back with a hard intensity. "Impossible…" he said slowly.

"In that case, you won't mind if I return the favor," Krystal said, standing up straight.

"Your compassion for the Cornerians is misplaced!" Tacitus snapped.

"I'm not doing this for them!" Krystal then thrusted her arms forward and Tacitus was knocked to the ground.

The sudden disconnect caused Fox to fall but he managed to grab onto the edge of the bridge just in time. Meanwhile, Krystal was keeping Tacitus pinned with her newly found power. Fox barely had the strength to hold on but slowly he crawled back onto the bridge. He then saw Krystal was holding Tacitus down as best as she could but he could tell her strength was failing. He then pulled out and primed the last grenade he had before getting to his feet and running towards Tacitus and sticking the grenade into his armor before getting a fist in the face and fell down.

Tacitus had managed to break free and was about to kill Fox before the grenade exploded, blowing a hole in his armor. The shock from the blast knocked him off balance and he suddenly lost his footing and fell off the bridge into the warp space below.

Fox got up slowly and went over to where Krystal laid. "Krystal… are you alright?"

Krystal lifted her head up slowly and gave him a weak smile. "I knew you'd come for me…" she said softly.

Fox chuckled. "Never leave a teammate behind. Can you get up?" Krystal tried but her strength had left her. "I got you." Fox put his head under her shoulder and helped her up.

"Fox… what you just saw…"

"Don't worry about it, we'll have time to talk about it later," Fox replied. "How do we turn this thing off?"

"I don't know, I think the only way at this point is to blow it up completely," Krystal said.

"Then we'll have to let the Cornerian Navy take care of it." Fox and Krystal walked over to the control panel and Fox pushed some buttons. "Alright, shields are down. I'll notify the fleet. Is there a ship here we can fly out of here with?"

"I'm assuming you crashed the other one?" Krystal asked with an amused grin.

"Considering the circumstances… yes," Fox replied.

"There's a launch bay just ahead of here," Krystal replied. "But Fox, I don't think I can fly it."

"We'll worry about that when we get there," Fox replied. He realized carrying her like this wouldn't do either of them any good so he lifted her over his shoulder.

"Fox-what-!?" She then paused. "Thank you…"

"Hill, this is Fox," he said into his commlink. "The shield is down so you're free to take this thing out."

"_Wait a minute, we're still detecting you on the ship," _Hill replied. _"If we start firing we'll-"_

"We'll be fine but the longer we let this weapon stay active more innocent civilians will be killed," Fox said. "Please sir… that's all I ask."

"…_Alright, all ships make their way towards the Cerinian vessel!"  
_

* * *

(A/N: For this next part the song I'm using is "Boss E" from Star Fox 64.)

* * *

Fox and Krystal then made their way to the launch bay where there was a small Cerinian transport ship docked. The loading ramp opened and both of them got on board. Fox then laid Krystal in the passenger as he got into the pilot's seat. The controls were slightly different but nothing he couldn't handle. "Fox, what I meant before is that it only responds to Cerinians, it won't-" All of a sudden the engines started up and Krystal looked flabbergasted. "…How did-!?"

The ship started to rock. The Cornerian Fleet had already opened fire. *"No time to explain!" Fox said as the ship lifted before punching the thrusters. There was a wide tunnel that would lead them out but everything was starting to fall apart. Fox had to move out of the way before falling shrapnel took out the ship.

Krystal then could sense the growing inferno behind them. "Uh Fox!"

"Hang on!" Fox yelled. The ship wasn't nearly as swift as an Arwing but he tried to avoid the explosions occurring all around him. He then saw space ahead and gunned the engines as best he could. The incoming blast was coming closer and closer but Fox managed to clear the ship just in time as the Cerinian ship exploded into a large ball of fire.

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using here is "Mission Failed" from Star Fox 64 3D. You know, I would've loved to use the Star Fox Assault version as well as many other songs but OF COURSE you'll never find them on YouTube.)

* * *

*Krystal sighed in relief. "We really need to stop cutting it close like that… but I'm glad we made it in one piece."

"Not quite. Unfortunately, we lost our engines in the process," Fox said. "But yeah, we're here in one piece." Fox realized now was a good time as any. "Hey Krystal?"

"Yes Fox?" Krystal looked at him.

"I… there's something I've been wanting to tell you…" Fox started. He could see she was starting to blush despite her state and could feel his cheeks going hot as well.

"And… and what's that?" Krystal asked.

"Well…" All of a sudden they were interrupted as the ship's video communicator.

"Hey Fox you're all okay!" Falco said.

"And Krystal too! We were so worried!" Slippy exclaimed.

"Hey Fox, glad to see you both made it," Peppy said.

Krystal giggled, partially from seeing the annoyed look on Fox's face. "I'm flattered you all were worried about me but we're both fine… but we might want to go visit the hospital wing when we have the chance."

"Done deal, we'll be there to pick you up soon," Peppy said before the transmission cut off.

* * *

(A/N: And now for the part you've all been waiting for! For this part the song I'm using is "Staff Credits 2" from Star Fox 64 3D.)

* * *

*"I guess I should've seen that coming…" Fox mumbled.

Krystal smiled. "So… you were saying Fox?" She then got up and sat in his lap.

"I…well…" He took a deep breath. "From the moment I first met you on Sauria there was no doubt I had feelings for you… but I couldn't muster up the courage to tell you but I promised… after one more crazy adventure I would man up and do it so hear it is: Krystal… would you like to be my girlfriend?"

Krystal had that amused playful look on her face. "To be honest, I felt the same way, even in the beginning. I thought you were dismissing my… advances before but I know you were just nervous so… yes Fox McCloud I would like that very much."

She then moved closer to him and their lips met for the first time. There was no doubt things would change from this moment on but Fox didn't care, he had finally admitted his feelings to the one girl he truly loved. And no conflict, battle, or anything would stand between them now.

* * *

(A/N: And that folks, is how you end a story. But is it over, or is there more to come? Find out!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	12. Epilogue

(A/N: For the final part, the song I'm using here is "This Armour" from Halo 4.)

* * *

Epilogue

"_In this hour of victory, we only taste defeat. I ask why._

_We are Cerinians, Guardians of all that exists._

_The roots of the galaxy had grown under our careful tending. Where there is life, the wisdom of our countless generations has saturated the soil._

_Our strength is a luminous sun towards which all intelligence blossoms… And the impervious shelter beneath which it has prospered._

_I stand before you. Accused of the sin of ensuring Cerinian ascendency… Of attempting to save us from this fate where we are forced to… recede…_

_Corneria stands as the greatest threat in the galaxy. Refusing to eradicate them is a fool's gambit._

_We squander eons in the darkness while they seize our triumphs for their own. The responsibility of the entire galaxy belongs to Cerinians alone!_

_Think of my acts as you will. But do not doubt the reality. The reclamation… has already begun._

_And we are hopeless to stop it."  
_

* * *

Newly appointed Captain Hill now found himself on the capital building in Corneria City. Shortly after the battle with Tacitus he been called planet side and was sitting just outside General Pepper's office. One of the secretaries, a rather attractive Old Time Farm Shepherd, came to his side. "The General will see you now."

Hill nodded and stepped inside the office. He immediately saw the General standing at the window that overlooked downtown Corneria City. "You wanted to see me sir?" Hill asked, saluting.

"At ease Captain," Pepper said, turning around. "Please, take a seat." Hill did so. "First of all I want to congratulate you for the promotion, even though it came at the expense of Captain Rio. Still, you wouldn't have the rank if you weren't worthy of it. Now, as to why you're here, this is something that is top secret and only the top chain of command know."

"What is it sir?" Hill asked.

Pepper took a seat. "The sudden reappearance of Cerinia is… troubling to say the least. I wished only to send in a peaceful expedition team but now that may no longer be possible. This group of pirates is not like others we've faced before, we don't know where they're getting their supplies or their manpower but we do know they are a rising threat to Cornerian security. I fear they may try to use Cerinia as a base of operations and we cannot allow that."

"And me sir?" Hill asked.

"The _CFC Hornet _is currently undergoing repairs so it will take some time…" Pepper stated. "Enjoy the leave time while you can Captain. In a few weeks you'll be setting out to Cerinia once again."

* * *

(A/N: Well first of all, I would like to say how proud of myself I am for finally completing a story in who knows how many years, and a Star Fox one to boot. I really wanted to finish this story before the summer kicked in so I could move onto my next story, which I'm sure you'll all see rather soon. I know this may not be the perfect Star Fox story you'd expect but damn it I tried and I'm quite proud of it regardless. I just hope others find it and enjoy. So before I forget, I do not own Star Fox, for if I did you'd have a game coming out every three years and it would be awesome. And with that folks, I'm sure I will see you all again soon! This is FoxMcCloud7921 signing off!)


End file.
